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25 January 1994
Dear Sir
PUBLIC-INVITATION FOR THE
NEW CONSTITUTION
I attach hereto, for your consideration,
verbatim extract from a book which I wrote between 1989 and 1992 and which I am
currently
endeavouring to have published.
The "Manifesto" in my book is
supposedly written in 1902 by three men, two whites and a black man, who are fed
up with the Boer War
atrocities committed to all of the peoples of South Africa
at the time and commit their grandchildren to get involved and put matters
right, for. all, by June 1996 latest.
Good luck to you an(] the new South
Africa.
Yours faithfully
D.B. WRIGIAT
This is our Manifesto which we wish you. to
adhere to: -
- Our
country has been ravaged by wars over the past hundred years, with horrific
consequences. It is essential to rid this country,
once and for all, past and
present prejudices, hatred and injustices and plan for a future that all
citizens can be proud of. Judging
by present sentiments from all the population
groups we are of the opinion that it will take another hundred years, or at
least two
generations, to rectify past injustice. Thereafter, something MUST be
done about the situation.
- Influence
by outside, or overseas, powers must be rejected; solutions to all problems must
be resolved internally. Imperial nations
may well have meant well by dividing
up the African sub-continent along lines of longitude and latitude, along rivers
and mountain
ranges but in doing so they erroneously ignored nations. Take note
of the consequences and the influences that both England and
Germany with their
'big stick' policies had over recent events.
- The
notion that 'winner takes all' is one of the root causes of past friction and
wars. We can only see this system working in a
homogeneous country. In a
country like ours consisting of four colonies, tribal trust lands, many
languages, nationalities and of
mixed races, perhaps some sort of equitable
federal system, akin to that of the United States of America, is worth
persueing. Everyone's
interests must be taken into account through their
elected, or chosen leaders. Ensure democratic representation at all levels.
It
will be interesting to see what comes of the much talked-about convention for
union.
- Wars,
killing and suffering have not solved any of the past problems. If anything,
they have compounded the problems. People must
communicate with one another;
they must be made to negotiate, be made to make all reasonable concessions and
reach consensus. Here
must be genuine and honest Quid Pro Quo.
- The
plight of the illiterate and unemployed is horrendous. Therefore employment,
shelter and
education~for-all must become a national goal. Create
opportunities for all those who deserve it, but not for the sake of appeasement.
Standards must not be lowered-- upliftment must be the key word. Educate at
grass-roots and allow people to grow into responsible
positions-- be very wary
of hand-overs and ensure that appointments are on merit only. Equal opportunity
is, therefore, a must.
- There
should be no political interference in the workplace, including trade unions.
Responsibility and accountability must go with
all positions held. Work towards
an industrious nation.
- Only
the most experienced, competent and qualified persons must be allowed to hold
office in all levels of government -- be wary of
corruption and
deceit.
- Steer
clear of State-controlled businesses and monopolies. Competition is healthy and
so is incentive, coupled with reward. Reward
loyalty and hard
work.
- Discipline
and law-enforcement is the back-bone of any orderly society. However, ensure
that justice is supreme in it's implementation.
- Freedom
of speech, the press, employment, education, religion and movement is paramount.
Be wary of intimidation and propaganda.
- The
benefits of capitalism and all that
it stands for, must be shown and
proven to be for more beneficial than nationalism, as we have witnessed.
- The
natural wealth and fruits of the country must be shared, owned and controlled in
an equitable manner.
- Be
a good listener. Show respect for your fellow citizens and give free and honest
guidance where it is required and needed most.
To be humble is a
virtue.
A tall order you might say, but consider the alternatives. This country has
the mineral wealth, the people, the climatic conditions
and the resultant
farming activities to rival the best In Europe. It is all there for the taking.
Alternatively, if the present
Intransigence continues Indefinitely, then maybe
you should consider moving elsewhere to seek your happiness. We do,
nevertheless,
believe that South Africa will, one day, be the powerhouse of
sub-Saharan Africa.
How you go about reaching your objectives, we leave to you. Regarding your
time-frame, we are of the option that the current spate
of hostilities and
hatred commenced with the abortive Jameson Raid and the Imprisonment of the
Reform Committee leaders In mid 1896.
A sad truth Is that most of the Reform
Committee members were genuinely Interested in reaching agreement with the
Transvaal Government.
Having said that, you have been given until June 1996 to
help influence and bring about meaningful change, peace and prosperity
In this
land.
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