From the past to the future via ‘ubuntu’

Three Young Fabians are currently taking part in a delegation organised by ACTSA to southern Africa. Here Adrian Prandle, International Officer on the Young Fabian Executive, writes about the connection between what has gone and what is coming and an African philosophy.

Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, South Africa, is the coming together of contrasts. From the grim history of the – now closed – prison block to the modern splendour, pride and ambition of the Constitutional Court which opened in 2004.

The personal testimonies of former prisoners were told through a tour of the blocks – Number 4, Old Fort and the Women’s Wing – which had incarcerated Winnie Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and others over the years. The poor conditions and the discriminatory processes felt real and wrong as brave, brave people stood up for what they believed in. Political prisoners were mixed in with serious criminals and racial segregation meant more severe discomfort and treatment.

South Africans are extremely proud of their constitution and the Constitutional Court demonstrates in its architecture the balance between learning from history and looking to the future. What appears at first glance to be a very modern building, in fact incorporates some of the remaining prison structures with the combination of old and new symbolising the importance of learning from the past but moving on optimistically. It’s grandly carved front doors detail the articles of the constitution in the nation’s eleven spoken languages – plus sign language and braille. The constitutional court is for everyone we were told. It is made up of eleven judges, again with reference to the languages, and there is much pride that this includes two judges with disabilities, signifying that no-one is excluded in today’s South Africa.

Talking to young South Africans and Zimbabweans afterwards offered an insight into their passion and innovation in promoting democracy and youth particpation. Some, under the ‘Democracy Begins In Conversation’ vehicle ran Radio Con Hill which sought to facilitate young people’s engagement with, for example, constitutional court judges. They explained the philosophy of ‘ubuntu’ as being about humanity, solidarity and cooperation; about understanding that if you have something then somebody else doesn’t and you should share. The youth leaders offered their disappointment at the occasions in recent history when this spirit of Africanism had not been at the forefront of all their countrymen’s behaviour. Rafael, the young activist from Zimbabwe’s MDC party, expressed his willingness to die for the cause of democracy if that was what President Mugabe had in store for him and his colleagues. But he was optimistic that change was happening one way or another: “We have sown the seeds – one day it will grow.”