by a socialist from WINNIE MANDELA'S blistering attacks on the African National Congress leadership are not, as Nel. son Mandela and other ANC leaders try to make out, the lone voice of an embittered woman seeking notoriety.
She is voicing the real fears of a growing number of ANC supporters, among the youth, who are frustrated by protracted negotiations which seem to be going nowhere.
Conciliatory
They are critical of the ANC's conciliatory stance toward the De Klerk regime, despite the increasing oviin the violence in Natal and the town. ships - an involvement which the government seems either powerless or urmiling to stop.
She first spoke out at the fufferal of the veteran liberation fighter, Helen February 13, 1993 No. 37 disillusionment with the ANC leader. ship before her death Many people here would be forgiven these days if they have forgotten what the original cause was for which Helen and other heroes of our struggle lived for and for which many died.
But, surety a fool may suspect correcty that these sacrifices were not paid in order to reach some so-called power sharing arrangements between the eite of the oppressed and the oppressors.
Joseph Mdul, Steve Biko, Neil Aç ster, Mathew Goniwe and countess oners did not pay we supreme prid in order that our freedom be alowed to disappear into the sunset of political oblivion. They died in order to usher in a new dawn of freedom, justice and sung per for our people.
Winnie Mandela elaborated her posion subsequently in Viye Weekblad and in an open letter published in the Sunday Star and the Johannesburg Sunday Times.
Whie she is not against negotiabons in prince, she insis's tal s crucial to take the masses along with us on the question of power sharing.
"And itis the masses who mustgive a mandate to the leadership about the interpretation of power sharing. Because if we do not do that we are keiy to find ourselves an elite group leading he masses while we are not in touch with them. We do not know their aspir. ations."
Sunset clauses
Asked about her alstude to the so-called 'sunset clauses' - proposed by Joe Slovo and endorsed by the ANC reconcilation, she replied: It must not be seen as a shortcutto parliament for a few individuals in the organisation. he masses must be part of the de It is this ellism of the top leadership of the ANC to which she returns time and again: "The National Party elite is getting into bed with the ANC, in order to preserve is skin shees And he leadership of the ANC is getting into bed with the NP to enjoy this newfound luxury:* That Winnie Mandela's posibon is shared by a large section of the people is born out by a survey carried out by Viye Weekbiad on the streets of Soweto and Johannesburg. firmed that the prospects for the near tuture remain bleak for oronary be citizens.
Even those who belleved that there was no alternative to negotiations argue that the bargaining scene is so neir lives have been dragged into confusion and uncertainty. Most don't be lieve that negotiations will bring about an early settlement.
Bewildered
They do not know what is really happening; they are bewidered. The views of these sceptics are, perhape expressod succinctly by Don Nhlanhla of Soweto, one of those interviewed:
They made CODESA and it failed. Look what's happening - violence everywhere. There is not going to be a soluton here before there is a real fight. They are talking lies in negotiasons." clause' in a negotiated settlement; that would give the lamentary veto for 3:10 whites an effective years.
The model here is the 1980 Lancaster House agreement which gave independence to Zimbabwe.
There has been tremendous opposition inside the ANC with opposition form the Youth League, but in the end the ANC executive accepted the position of Joe Slovo with just a few minor amendments. So yes, for five to ten years there will be no 'one person, one vote; and a lot can nappen in was penou tu further disrupt a transition to De Klerk's strategy is twofold. First to guarantee a veto for the whites, but also to build up a 'national front, a bloc of ght wing forces against the ANC and the liberation move ment. This would involve the ruling Nationalist Party, but also the puppet leaders of the homelands' and their supporters, as well as the Zulu-based Inkatha National Freedom