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Johannesburg — Archbishop Desmond Tutu is glad former president Nelson Mandela and other freedom fighters are not alive to witness the slow pace of transformation in South Africa, the Sunday Times reported.
“I’m glad that Madiba is dead. I’m glad that most of these people are no longer alive to see this,” Tutu was quoted as saying by the paper.
Tutu made the comments when he was interviewed ahead of the release of a book he wrote with his daughter, Reverend Mpho Tutu, this week. “I didn’t think there would be a disillusionment so soon,” he said.
ANC secretary Gwede Mantashe was quoted by the paper saying: “The problem in this country, in general, is everyone speaks for Nelson Mandela, but the people who speak for him do not do so efficiently.”
Tutu said at a briefing on Wednesday that he no longer supported the African National Congress’s leadership as he did when he first voted on April 27, 1994.
“I have sought to support a party that would be as close as possible to the sorts of things we would love to see. On the whole the ANC was that,” he said. “Have you noticed the past tense?” he added.
meanwhile, President Jacob Zuma said yesterday South Africa has vastly improved over the past 20 years, building a buoyant economy, deepening democracy and combating crime and corruption.
“We have done well on all of these pillars in the past 20 years. We have moved closer to our cherished dream of a united non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa,” he said at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
“President Mandela introduced free health care for pregnant women to ensure that South African children are born healthy, as one of the benefits of freedom.
“We are continuing with his legacy by continuing to invest in children.”
Zuma said government now spent billions of rands on early childhood development centres and subsidising fees for poor households.
Millions of children received meals at school and also social grants from government, said Zuma. “More than 11 million orphans and vulnerable children benefit from social grants to ensure that poverty in their homes does not disadvantage them and destroy their future,” said Zuma.
“Our plan is that by 2030, South Africa should have a comprehensive system of social protection that includes social security grants, mandatory retirement savings, risk benefits such as unemployment, death and disability and vulnerable retirement savings.”
He said the matric examination pass rate had been steadily increasing, coupled with “phenomenal expansion” of enrollment of students into institutions of higher learning.
Zuma was addressing South Africa’s annual Freedom Day celebrations at the Union Buildings.
Earlier, Zuma was warmly greeted with ululations and cheering by a jubilant crowd when he arrived at the ceremony. Many people in the lively crowd were wearing ANC yellow t-shirts bearing Zuma’s face.
Several giant tents and a stage had been erected, and adorned with balloons. A large public address system was used to address the crowd. — Sapa
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