Oliver Tambo: Let Us Rise to the Occasion

Oliver Tambo: Let Us Rise to the Occasion

(Extracts of a Speech by Comrade President O. R. Tambo on the Occasion of January 8th, 1980, 68th Anniversary of the African National Congress of South Africa)

“The need for the unity of the patriotic and democratic forces of our country has never been greater than it is today. Last year, on the occasion of the 67th anniversary of the formation of the African National Congress, which we described then, as we do now, as the expression of the unity of the oppressed, we invited all our countrymen in their various organisational formations to seek and find ways of cooperation and collaboration in the quest for justice in our country.”

“Are we, however, more united today than we were this time last year? So vital is unity to our victory that this question demands an honest answer. Let us therefore start with the ANC itself which, as we have said, constitutes the expression of the unity of the oppressed. To put the matter in other words any division within the ANC inevitably leads to division among the people.”

“As the embodiment of the liberation forces of our country, deriving that historic role from its foundation by our forebears, and maintained as such by the subsequent generations that have served and continue to serve in its ranks, the ANC has, since our call last year, sought to carry out its duty to bring together all our countrymen in their various organisational formations and to enhance the level of cooperation and collaboration among all of us. As a result of these efforts, it has become very clear to us that more dialogue is called for among us, the oppressed, to seek and find common responses to our common oppression and exploitation, to ensure the certainty that this year and in future we shall actually act together as one people with one destiny.”

“But we must insist, as Nelson Mandela did, that ‘no true alliance can be built on the shifting sands of evasions, illusions and opportunism’. Our unity has to be based on honesty among ourselves, the courage to face reality, adherence to what has been agreed upon, and to principle.”

“Certainly it subtracts from the process of the unification of our people in action if we fall victim to the traps that the enemy has set and we start ourselves encouraging false divisions and antagonisms, as for instance between one ethnic group or so-called tribe and another, between one nationality and another, between our rural and our urban people, between the young and the old, between the liberation movement inside the country and those described as ‘in exile’, and indeed, strange to say, between the ANC and the rest of the patriotic forces of our country. It is understandable that the enemy should try and promote these antagonisms. It makes no sense that we should want to do it for him.”

“When we together drew up and adopted the Freedom Charter, we set ourselves firmly against all so-called reformist solutions of the South African problem. We said we do not fight to reform apartheid but to abolish it in its entirety. We said we do not fight to gain some illusory liberties in areas set aside for us by the enemy or as this or the other national group. We said we want freedom for all our people as equals, brothers and sisters in one united and democratic South Africa.”

“We did not call for ‘power sharing’ with the regime of the oppressors but firmly and unequivocally challenged the legitimacy of that regime and its right to govern us. Neither did we speak of special and unequal relations between South Africa and her neighbours, Africa and the rest of the world. Rather we stated the matter plainly that each people has a right to independence and self-government and to equal status one with the other, and that it was on this basis that peace, friendship and cooperation among the peoples can be secured.”

“All our struggles at all levels this year must be accompanied by the call – ‘Forward to a People’s Government!’ To give meaning to this call, and in observing the 25th anniversary of the Freedom Charter and renewing our commitment to the democratic demands contained within it, we must launch mass struggles everywhere and around all the issues that both agitate us and are reflected in the Freedom Charter. … We call on all our people everywhere to take up the challenge of the 80’s which have brought the centre of gravity of Africa’s liberation struggle to our land – to its cities, towns and villages; its industries, factories and farmlands; its mountains, plains and bushveld.”

THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES!
FORWARD TO A PEOPLE’S GOVERNMENT!
VICTORY IS CERTAIN!
ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

– Oliver Tambo (8 January 1980) –

Source:
Oliver Tambo, “Let Us Rise to the Occasion”, Sechaba, March 1980, pp. 2 – 12.

Castro Khwela
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