The following speech was delivered by DA Leader, Mmusi Maimane, at this evening’s Liberal International (LI) Executive Committee Meeting, where he presented this year’s “Africa Freedom Award” to Zambian Opposition Leader, Hakainde Hichilema.
It is with great honour and pride that I get to present my friend, political ally and fellow liberal, Hakainde Hichilema – Leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND) in Zambia – with the 2017 African Freedom Award. This award acknowledges individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to the cause of freedom in Africa.
I can think of no person more deserving of recognition for their efforts to bring freedom and an open society to their country in the face of extreme intimidation, harassment and violence. Most would have been defeated, but Mr Hichilema is not most people. He is a man of strong character and steadfast principle, and he is a treasure to the people of Zambia.
He is also a shining example of what I consider to be the next generation of African leaders – men and women who must redefine democracy on this continent and raise the leadership bar infinitely higher. A crop of leaders who must carry the responsibility of writing Africa’s new chapter.
These days you often hear people berating others for repeating negative stereotypes of African nations and their leaders. We are told that Africa needs to have its good stories told, and that we cannot perpetuate the narrative of a failed continent with corrupt leaders and a bleak outlook.
But if we want good stories to be told, then we must create them. We need to craft a new vision for Africa – one that rises above and beyond our various post-colonial eras. A vision for Africa in which Big Man Politics and all the power and excess that goes along with it are left behind in history. A vision in which African nations have been liberated from their liberators, and finally fulfil their potential.
History has taught us that failed liberation movements will not self-correct. The solution has to come from outside these movements. It is going to be up to us, the people in this room, to build a viable alternative.
Perhaps it is because we are seeing the collapse of such a failed post-liberation government here in South Africa as we speak, that I find it easy to imagine this vision of a strong, growing and inclusive Africa. The change we are going through in this country – painful and uncertain as it may be – has opened our eyes to the possibility of a better future.
Like many of the nations represented here in this room, our country has been brought to its knees by the corrupt and the greedy. What started out for us as an era of hope and rebuilding 23 years ago has turned into a systematic campaign of plunder by what remains of the very party that spearheaded the struggle for liberation.
But thanks to the fighting spirit of our people – from opposition parties to civil society, from business to ordinary citizens – the ANC government has been put on notice. They know their time is fast running out, and this current term could very well be their last in office.
So I know it can be done, even if it appears hopeless at times. I know that rebirth is part of any functioning democracy. And I know that the fight being fought by my friend, Hakainde Hichilema, will bring the same change to the people of Zambia.
And so I’d like to say to him: Stay strong, stay focused on your goal and don’t let the Big Men and their bullying break your spirit. You are doing important work, and you will prevail.
And you must prevail, because our vision for Africa requires many allies on the continent.
Our vision for Africa requires that we trade among ourselves. Not to the exclusion of other markets, but certainly to a far greater degree than we currently do. We have enormous untapped markets right across our borders, and this regional trade holds the key to our growth and prosperity as a continent.
It is then perhaps worth exploring the establishment of an African version of the ASEAN intergovernmental body of Asian nations. If we had the power of a regional negotiating block we could stand up to the superpower economies and really help uplift each other.
Our vision for Africa also requires states with strong democratic institutions. We have seen, too often on this continent, what happens when the institutions of democracy are deliberately hollowed out to make them ineffectual in holding governments to account.
We must fight to keep these institutions robust and independent. Our judiciaries, our media, our Parliaments, our electoral commissions, our prosecuting authorities, our investigative units – these are the fortified walls that keep democracies intact. We must ensure that they remain strong.
Our vision for Africa also includes the freedom to move across borders, but within the framework of legal criteria. Regional migration is necessary to stimulate development – it allows skills to follow opportunities, which is essential for economic growth. But this needs to be done in a fair and consistent manner, and anyone entering another country must do so legally and subject themselves to the rule of law.
Our vision for Africa sees a continent where economies have transformed to keep pace with a fast-changing world. Population growth in Africa can either be a threat or an opportunity, depending on whether we are able to move enough people out of poverty and into the middle class. We will only unlock these opportunities through modernising our economies.
And finally, our vision for Africa is a continent that truly belongs to all her people. We must reject all forms of nationalism, whether it be tribal, ethnic or racial nationalism. The societies we want to build on this continent are tolerant and caring. We celebrate our diversities and there must never be room for populists who mobilise along race and ethnicity.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have full confidence that we will achieve this vision within our lifetime. And I know that it will be possible largely thanks to the work done by the members of Liberal International across the globe. Without Liberal International, there would be no liberalism in Africa.
For this reason it gives me great pleasure to offer up one of our finest young MPs to serve as the first Secretary General of Liberal International. In Gordon Mackay you will find a new generation of politician – a progressive thinker with a work ethic to really add value to the organisation.
As our Shadow Minister and spokesperson on Energy, he has played a crucial role in holding our government at bay as it tries to loot the state through a costly and unnecessary nuclear power procurement.
Gordon understands the enormous challenges we face on this continent. Poverty, spiralling unemployment and massive inequality make African nations a vastly different place from the developed West. And while only liberalism is equipped to deal with these challenges, he also understands that the concept of liberalism needs to be made relevant here in Africa.
Our liberalism cannot be a rigid ideological dogma, but must take into account the legacy of a continent still defined by colonial borders. This idea of liberalism was perhaps best described by renowned author and anti-apartheid activist, Alan Paton, when he said:
”By liberalism I don’t mean the creed of any party or any century. I mean a generosity of spirit, a tolerance of others, an attempt to comprehend otherness, a commitment to the rule of law, a high ideal of the worth and dignity of man, a repugnance of authoritarianism and a love of freedom.”
More importantly, it is our task to change the public discourse away from the dogma of the left which is anti-growth, anti-development and anti-freedom. We need to make a new, stronger case for liberalism in our context, with big ideas that capture the public imagination and lead the public debate.
As the first Secretary General to come from Africa, Gordon Mackay will bring this same vision to Liberal International. I have full confidence in his ability to help strengthen liberalism globally, as well as here in Africa.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The winds of change are sweeping across this continent. A new generation of leader is emerging – men and women who understand what it means to serve the people. Men and women who empathise with the plight of the poor and the excluded. Men and women for whom power and wealth are not important.
These men and women have already started writing Africa’s new chapter, and I am excited at the prospect of working with them. Together we will turn this continent into a place of hope, opportunity and freedom.
I am proud to call one of these men, Hakainde Hichilema, my friend. And it gives me great pleasure to present him with the 2017 African Freedom Award.