Renaming South Africa: What would heroes say?

I wish to declare that I am for the colonial name changes in this country, including the name of South Africa, which is no more than a mere geographic location in any event.

Change names by all means, but only if we can produce commensurate evidence of good governance and management of state resources and to serve without stealing from the state.

However, I don’t believe those we wish to honour for their heroic roles in the liberation struggle would draw any joy if that is done in the face of this abject poverty, unemployment, particularly among the youth.

They probably would be disgusted if those who are honouring them have built for themselves a history that is contradictory to what they stood for.

They would certainly prefer that the poor people whose homes were ravaged by natural disasters in KwaZulu-Natal and elsewhere be served first.

They would not want to associate themselves with a “democratic” dispensation that can only show the opulence of the “comrades” at a cost of devastating and disastrous national economic management by what they thought were selfless and committed leaders.

Wherever those heroes are, they are certainly disappointed that in the 30 years of liberation, all we can point to is the destruction of public infrastructure due to corruption, the collapse of SOEs, the collapse of the health system, the deterioration of the education system and the lack of service and maintenance of state properties and infrastructure, and the cadre deployment that is only based on the reward for comrades, instead of ability and competence.

Indeed, and I strongly believe, if our heroes were to be asked if they approved of their heroism be recognised and honoured, they most probably would decline, owing to the misery the majority of the people are subjected to by the very people they thought would change their material conditions for the better.

When we honour our heroes, it has to be done with pride. We have to be saying to them that because of their sacrifices, we were able to improve the living conditions of the people they laid their lives down for.

We have to proudly declare that their heroic roles were not in vain. Can we, in all honesty, make that bold declaration today?

We simply cannot.

This renaming and honouring of our leaders and heroes bear all the hallmarks of betrayal of the very people we all should honour and respect.

Monama is an independent commentator and a former Azapo leader.