Former South Africa’s president, Thabo Mbeki, on Monday, condemned the anti-immigrant protest march which was preceded by attacks on foreign nationals in different parts of the country.
“I must express my grave concern at events which took place in this city last week, in the context of what was reported as an anti-immigrant march. In that context, I want to say ‘thank you’ to Ringo Madlingozi for what he said in the songs he rendered,” Mbeki said.
“As South Africans, we should never forget the enormous sacrifices that were made by the sister people of Africa to help us achieve our liberation. We cannot now behave in a manner that treats fellow Africans, who are now residents in our country, as enemies or unwelcome guests, neither should we commit the offence of viewing or characterising African migrants in our country as criminals.”
Mbeki said communities must report criminal activities to police and avoid taking the law into their own hands.
“When our communities discover or suspect criminal activities in their areas, regardless of the nationality of the alleged criminals, it must be reported to the [South African] Police Service. The police service itself has an absolute obligation to follow up on these community reports to avoid people taking the law into their own hands,” said Mbeki.
“All of us know that our country faces many socioeconomic challenges such as poverty and unemployment. Not even one of these problems can or will be solved by attacking fellow Africans who have joined us as migrants. Those who organise and participate in these attacks, which must stop, must know that there is absolutely nothing revolutionary, progressive, patriotic, acceptable or of service to the people in what are, in fact, criminal activities.”
It would be of interest to briefly examine the profile of this great South African former leader
Thabo Mbeki is a South African politician best known as the two-term president of South Africa after Nelson Mandela. Born on June 18, 1942, in Mbewuleni, Idutywa, South Africa. The anti-apartheid supporter rose within the political ranks of the African National Congress. He served two terms as the second president of South Africa after Nelson Mandela. Mbeki's controversial stance that HIV did not cause AIDS is believed to have led to delayed medicines and the deaths of more than 300,000 people in his country.
Mbeki was the second child of Govan Mbeki and Ma Mofokeng. In 1953, a fire destroyed Mbeki's kraal and family shop, prompting his father to migrate to Johannesburg in search of work.
As a young teen in 1955 at Lovedale College, Mbeki developed an interest in politics. He joined several student political organizations, including the African National Congress Youth League at age 14.
In 1961 in Johannesburg, Mbeki met Nelson Mandela, who advised him to further his education outside of the country. Mandela believed Mbeki's life was in danger due to his political beliefs and affiliations. Mbeki left for London and enrolled in the University of Sussex, graduating with a master's degree in economics in 1966.
The next year Mbeki started a job with Communist Party leader Yusuf Dadoo at the African National Congress offices in London. In 1969 he moved to Moscow to study at the Institute of Social Science.
Mbeki developed a different philosophy regarding change in South Africa's political structure. In 1990 he persuaded the ANC to stop the armed struggle against the apartheid regime, believing that negotiations, rather than guns, held the key to freedom. That same year he officially returned to South Africa from exile.
Mbeki's rise to political power continued in 1993, when he was elected chairman of the ANC. He addressed the elimination of apartheid at the United Nations. The next year Mbeki was sworn in by Nelson Mandela as the deputy president of the Republic of South Africa of the New Government of National Unity. Later in the year he was appointed deputy president of the African National Congress.
In 1997 Mbeki spoke at the ANC's 50th National Conference to address possible policy changes due to Nelson Mandela's impending retirement from public office and was elected the president of the ANC. He went on to be elected president of South Africa in 1999, and then won a second term as president of the ANC in 2002.
During his time in office, Mbeki's views on AIDS caused much international controversy. He refuted scientific research, stating that AIDS was not caused by the human immunodeficiency virus. He believed poverty, bad nourishment and general ill health were the causes of AIDS, and that expensive Western medicines would not be the solution. Harvard researchers believe his AIDS stance blocked medicine from reaching those afflicted, resulting in as many as 300,000 deaths in his country.
In South Africa's 2004 elections the ANC won the majority of votes. Mbeki was elected to a second term as president of the country on the same day the country celebrated its 10th anniversary as a democratic entity. In 2007 his bid to win a third term failed when he lost the ANC presidential election to Jacob Zuma, though he retained his position as president of South Africa. However, amid allegations of political interference, in 2008 the ANC asked Mbeki to resign as president of South Africa, and he reluctantly obliged.
Mbeki remains involved in non-elected leadership positions in the African region.
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