A different perspective..

Last night I went to a talk by Mr Letlapa Mphahlele, the president of the PAC - one of the openly militant political parties that was outlawed during apartheid. He was a Freedom Fighter (the apartheid government called him a terrorist), responsible for ordering dozens of 'operations.' (aka - bombs, assassinations and roadblock killings of apartheid officials) His talk was just mind-blowing. I still cannot get my mind completely around it.

There were different groups who opposed apartheid. In the West, we most commonly hear about the non-violent movement headed by Nelson Mandela and his counterparts. However, there were huge amounts of people who did not believe that a non-violent revolution was going to achieve anything, and so opted for a violent revolution. Mr. Mphahlele was among the believers in a violent revolution.

What was so novel to me about his speech was the fact that he fully admitted his role in the killing of hundreds of people. He did not express regret for it. Nor was he proud of it. He presented it as something that had to happen in a time of war, but also said that just because it had to happen did not mean that everyone did not need to heal from it. Since he was able to return from exile, he has spent years going from family to family of the people who he was responsible for killing and talking to them. Again, not apologizing, but explaining why it had to happen that way. He said that the vast majority of the time, the families understand, and some even express that if they had been under oppression as he had been, they would have done the same.

Interestingly, he refused to participate in the Truth and Reconcilation Commission, which gave both Freedom Fighters and members of the apartheid regime a chance to confess their transgressions and be given amnesty (official 'forgiveness'). While the Commission has been widely praised world-wide and replicated in many different countries, he said that in fact it was not a true representation of the 'truth' as it gave amnesty to almost all apartheid officials, but not to all Freedom Fighters. (a far simplification) Here is an excerpt from a news article outlining some of his points:

POLITICAL VIOLENCE: A SURVIVOR'S STORY
Mr Letlapa Mphahlele, PAC President


Extract from MAIL & GUARDIAN ARTICLE 'WE MUST BE AGENTS OF HEALING' by
Monako Dibetle, published 02 October 2006

DID YOU ORDER THE CAPE TOWN ATTACKS BECAUSE YOU HATED WHITE PEOPLE?
It was a result of a prevailing political situation. People must remember
that the attacks happened at the time of the Boipatong train and taxi
massacres of the African people.

YOU REFUSED TO SEEK AMNESTY AT THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION. WHY?
I had a problem with the whole set-up, because it equated the violence of
the aggressor with the violence of the oppressed. Another major flaw of the
TRC was that 80% of amnesty applicants were Africans and only 20% were
white. The figures reflect that Africans were responsible for their own
oppression, which is a fallacy. Also, you applied individually and were
granted amnesty individually -- overlooking the collective nature of the
revolution.

DOESN'T THAT DECISION CONTRADICT YOUR CURRENT INVOLVEMENT IN THE LYNDIE
FOURIE FOUNDATION AND THE FORGIVENESS PROJECT?
No, because you can't legislate for or against forgiveness; it's an
individual choice. My involvement with the people who were hurt because of
my orders has no cut-off date -- it is an unfolding process. I think it is
the right thing to do because after hurting each other we must become agents
of healing, spiritually and practically.

PAC FOUNDER ROBERT SOBUKWE'S DESCRIPTION OF AN AFRICAN WAS ANYONE WHO
BELIEVES IN THE PRINCIPLE OF AFRICAN LEADERSHIP. WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF
AN AFRICAN?
African is more than geographical. It is identification with Africa, her
aspirations and her dreams, and the willingness to be part and parcel of a
broad struggle to liberate her from domestic and foreign domination. Which
means skin colour does not exist.