EDMOND —
Douglas Foster is an American journalist who lived in South Africa for eight years after Nelson Mandela left the presidency of that country in 1999. He has written a book titled “After Mandela, The Struggle For Freedom In Post-Apartheid South Africa” in which he documents the problems that nation has confronted that has made it difficult for its post Mandela leaders to improve the lives of all of its people. Those dilemmas include widespread poverty and unemployment among black and mixed race citizens as well as an AIDS epidemic that has resulted in the premature deaths of thousands of South African.
Crime also is a problem in South Africa, and Foster reports on how people of all races there have been assaulted and robbed by criminals. That nation has been ruled by the African National Congress, which is known by the acronym “ANC” since the first all-race election was held there in 1994, and after Mandela left office that party selected his deputy president, Thabo Mbeki, to succeed him. Foster credits Mbeki for his free market economic policies that led to sustained economic growth in South Africa and also for his black empowerment programs that helped to create a new black middle class.
But the author castigates Mbeki for the stance he initially took regarding AIDS. Mbeki denied the existence of that malady for some time, and refused to permit the distribution of antiretroviral drugs that could have saved the lives of many of his people. Mbeki created a rift within the ANC when he fired his long-term friend and deputy president Jacob Zuma in response to allegations that Zuma had taken bribes from European firms that wished to sell military equipment to South Africa. Zuma rallied his supporters within the ANC and Mbeki was forced from office and Zuma succeeded him.
Foster details how Zuma, who remains South Africa’s chief executive today, engaged in a variety of questionable arrangements with wealthy businessmen that have allowed him and his large family to live in luxury despite his modest government salary. But the author also makes clear that the South African president has reached out to all of the different racial and ethnic groups of that nation and also has been an ally of the U.S. on many international issues. Foster was in South Africa in 2010 when that nation hosted the Soccer World Cup, and he describes how that experience brought all South Africans together in a spirit of national pride.
He recounts how shortly after taking office Nelson Mandela attended a rugby tournament in which the South African team, the Springboks, played. Rugby is a sport that is played primarily by whites in that nation, and when the Springbok team won the tournament Mandela came onto the field when the trophy was presented to them wearing a Springbok jersey and the white spectators began to chant his name. That event inspired the film “Invictus,” and Foster quotes Mandela as saying at that time that “Sport has the power to change the world. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial boundaries.”
And the truth of that observation is evident to anyone who has attended an Oklahoma City Thunder basketball game. The author reports that when he attended World Cup games he was embraced by South Africans of all races who thanked him for coming. And despite the problems that confront South Africa, the author believes that it has a bright future as a multi-racial democracy and that it will contribute to the development of the rest of sub-Saharan Africa in the years to come.
WILLIAM F. O’BRIEN is an Oklahoma City attorney.
Opinion
Author examines multi-racial future of South Africa
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Don’t leave Oklahoma!
May is graduation season. As I have done every year as lieutenant governor, I have given multiple commencement speeches. Advice flows freely during this time and it usually runs the gamut. What to do, what not to do, how to do ‘x’, be sure not to do ‘y.’ Too often commencement speakers speak in big generalities. So general, the message is frequently lost or forgotten.
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Last-minute funding proposals not in state’s best interest
All indications point to this being the last week of this year’s legislative session. The Legislature will go home a week early. This is good news for Oklahomans as not only will there be cost savings but all Oklahomans should breathe a sigh of relief when the Legislature stops making new laws a week ahead of schedule.
As usual, the Legislature will take a number of important votes during the last week. Some will be forced due to attempts to introduce and pass far-reaching, new policies that should have been introduced much earlier in the year. -
BY THE NUMBERS: Oklahoma still needs to invest in its economy
After six months of stagnation, the Oklahoma economy finally appears to be expanding again albeit still weakly. Unfortunately, our leaders aren’t making the investments we need to give our economic prospects a boost.
Last week the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services reported that in April state General Revenue fund collections were 5.2 percent above the estimate and 14.7 percent higher than last year’s collections. Under normal circumstances, such a report would indicate that the Oklahoma economy was very strong. But this isn’t a normal circumstance, and April isn’t a normal month. -
Americans deserve the truth on Benghazi
Lately, the media has been consumed by the controversies surrounding the White House. Among these controversies is the horrific terrorist attack on the United States’ diplomatic compound in Benghazi that took place Sept. 11, 2012. As more people come forward with additional information regarding the attack on the consulate, many Americans, including myself, are still asking for the truth.
The Obama Administration and the State Department have been less than forthcoming with key information on Benghazi and recent information points toward a major cover-up. -
Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
Distrust of government secrecy has been elevated to an exceptional level with the disclosure the Justice Department covertly examined two months of Associated Press phone records to determine who leaked details to the AP about a foiled terrorist plot.
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HEY HINK: Some people just are not cut out for command
Recent headlines cause me to remember an incident that occurred on an army base some years ago. Warning here: I’m taking some liberties with names and details, but the basic outline of events is accurate.
A certain company commander, let’s call him Captain Duntz, had command of a motor pool on a large army base in the continental U.S. -
We’ve become our own worst enemies
The past couple months have been marked by a seeming unprecedented number of man-made tragedies, as distinct from those caused by violent outbursts of the natural world, such as earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis.
You don’t want to dwell too long on the negative, but we do have to take notice of horrific human events and we owe it to ourselves to respond to them in some way. We don’t always agree on those responses, however, and that usually exacerbates the problem. -
Let’s reimburse higher ed for remediation costs
The good news: Oklahoma schools are teaching phonics. The bad news: It’s in college.
Students at Tulsa Community College, for example, can take a college English course called “Spelling and Phonics,” which “helps students master basic spelling literacy, principles of phonics and decoding skills.”
This sort of higher education brings to mind former Boston University president John Silber’s quip: “Higher than what?” -
AGAINST THE GRAIN: Department of Commerce highlights Main Street successes
The 24th annual Oklahoma Main Street Awards Banquet was at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum last week. Oklahoma Department of Commerce Secretary Dave Lopez addressed the gathering, and spoke of how the Commerce Department works with Main Street organizations throughout the state that are working to improve their downtown areas. Lopez pointed out that the partnership between his department and those local organizations has brought new life to those communities and that the attendees would see some of that revitalization in a video presentation. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin also addressed the gathering, and said the Main Street program has resulted in more than $1 billion in investments in the state and more than 1 million volunteer hours in its 24 years of operation.
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OUR VIEW: Be Edmond needs your help
BMX star and local legend Mat Hoffman knows what’s it like to fall from great heights and find yourself at one of the worst low points in life. He also knows how to climb back up and tackle life’s problems head on.
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Don’t leave Oklahoma!
