President Cyril Ramaphosa has said land reform and economic transformation must be sped up to address the legacy of apartheid.
Ramaphosa said the country must press ahead with policies of redress, including affirmative action, to ensure more black people got jobs.
The president was speaking during a webinar to celebrate the 95th birthday of struggle stalwart Andrew Mlangeni, the only surviving Rivonia trialist.
Ramaphosa noted that Mlangeni – who spent 26 years on Robben Island along former president Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada and Denis Goldberg, among others – had expressed concern over the government’s failure to fully meet the developmental aspirations of citizens.
“I know that it has pained him deeply to witness acts that infringe on the dignity of others. I know that seeing our children in mud schools, seeing men and women collecting water from dirty rivers, and seeing pensioners sleeping outside pension points have aggrieved him greatly,” he said.
“The process of historical redress, particularly on the land question, must be accelerated. The transformation of the economy must also be accelerated so that its bene ts can be felt and enjoyed by all.
“We must address the legacy of racism that has resulted in black people living in impoverished areas far from places of work and opportunity. We must press ahead with the policies of redress and affirmative action to bring more black men and women into the world of work.”
Ramaphosa said the dignity that Mlanegni sacrificed his life for was the same thousands of Americans protesting the brutal death of George Floyd at the hands of police were demanding.
He pledged solidarity with black Americans, saying Floyd’s death had opened wounds for all of us. Ramaphosa said many of Mlangeni’s experiences had le a deep impression on him and reminded him of the high price the oppressed had to pay for freedom.
