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Protest violence due to ‘failure of leadership’ BY CLAIRE MATHIESON
S Matric pupils of St Dominic’s Priory in Port Elizabeth marked their 40 Days by dressing up in inventive costumes, from Mr Bean and Spiderman to Mario and Luigi. The Southern Cross wishes the Class of 2012 throughout Southern Africa all the best for the upcoming matric exams. (Photo from St Dominic’s Priory)
Bishop, ex-SACBC president, dies suddenly at 67 BY CLAIRE MATHIESON
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FORMER president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Swaziland’s only bishop died suddenly on August 27 at the age of 67. Bishop Louis Ncamiso Ndlovu of Manzini died following a suspected heart attack. His death was a shock to many, including Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban who turned to social network platform Twitter to share the news. “While it was clear during the bishops’ meeting at Mariannhill that Bishop Ndlovu was not well, no one imagined he would leave us so soon.” Manzini diocese’s secretary and financial administrator Fr Peter Ndwandwe said the bishop had been admitted to hospital on Friday, August 24, “but by Saturday he was already showing an improvement. On Sunday he was making jokes,” said Fr Ndwandwe. But the situation changed on Monday morning and the bishop was placed on a ventilator. Fr Ndwandwe applied for a medical visa for the bishop to travel to Johannesburg for medical attention, but it was too late: the bishop died that afternoon. “This is a great loss for the people of Manzini and the whole country. We need him more now as Swaziland is troubled,” the priest said. Bishop Ndlovu was appointed apostolic administrator of Manzini, Swaziland’s only diocese, on February 20, 1981 shortly after the death of his predecessor, Bishop Mandlenkhosi Zwane, in a car accident. Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Ndlovu to head the diocese of Manzini on July 1, 1985. His episcopal ordination took place on October 12, with Bishop Mansuet Dela Biyase of Eshowe as principal consecrator. Born on March 15, 1945 in Enkaba, Swaziland, the future bishop joined the Order of Friar Servants of Mary, making his profession in April 1975. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 4, 1978. Seven years later he was appointed bishop of Manzini, which he
served for 27 years. Bishop Ndlovu also served as president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference—which comprises South Africa, Botswana and Swaziland—from 1994 to 2003. In that capacity he headed the bishops’ delegation that met with President Nelson Mandela in Cape Town in 1998. “He was a warm-hearted, hospitable man with the unique gift to make friends and make others feel at home. Despite the power that came with his position, he never threw his weight around,” Fr Ndwandwe said. The bishop was an advocate for human rights and would be remembered for his role in the call for meaningful change in Swaziland, a country considered by many in the Church to be a police state. “He never compromised on his priestly duties, even when these were at loggerheads with the state. He was a remarkable man and always expressed his views on social justice loudly and clearly.” Bishop Ndlovu often attracted criticism from Swaziland’s government for his actions to protect others. He will be remembered for the part he played in the hunger strike led by the University of Swaziland’s Student Representative Council members in the early 1990s. The students, who were then weak from hunger, were given shelter at the bishop’s house in Manzini where police were prevented from arresting the students. “He enjoyed life and enjoyed enhancing the life of others—especially the disadvantaged. He preferred spending his time with family, friends and the underprivileged, and not with those in high places,” said Fr Nkwandwe. He added: “We have lost a great man.”
PEAKERS at a Catholic event discussing public action have condemned the political exploitation of people’s discontent. “There is nothing wrong with protests, but there is something wrong with society when protest action turns to violence, and when this is so easily met with more violence,” said Mike Pothier of the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office (CPLO), an office of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, during a round table discussion. The meeting came in the aftermath of the Lonmin Mines shootings at Marikana and public delivery protests in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, during which a bus driver died after his vehicle was stoned. Mr Pothier stressed that violence at protests is still an aberration. “Not all protest action is violent. The majority of it is peaceful,” said Mr Pothier. “But the message is now that violence works on a certain level.” When people get violent, their concerns are listened to and attention is drawn to their cause. “We need politicians who are going to stand by their communities and make sure they are heard without being violent.” Mr Pothier said the public needs to be educated on how to get the kind of leadership it wants. “We need proactive leadership that is there before there is violence.” Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg said for many the only way forward is violence as they feel they are not being listened to. The fact that each of the sites of violent protest was visited by local politicians shows that violence seems to be the only way for many to get the attention of the elected. The bishop of the diocese which includes Marikana said South Africa is becoming accustomed to violence and is forgetting the uniqueness of individual loss. “People are not simply killed,” he said. “They are murdered.” Yet, instead of focusing on impact of the deaths on the victims’ families and communities, political parties use these events as an opportunity to “score cheap political points”. “Why does protest action and violence consume such a big part of our lives?” the bishop asked at the round table, which was hosted by the CPLO and Goedgedacht Forum for Social Reflection.
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qabayomza Kwankwa, deputy secretarygeneral of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), said if the situation is to be rectified, “we need all hands on deck to pull the country from the tipping point. This is what political parties must do if we are to move from violent protest to dialogue.” Mr Kwankwa pointed to the widening income gap between the rich and the poor. “This is a direct result of policy. This comes from development,” he said, adding that it is usually those who were politically connected who are getting richer and benefit from the policy. “The elected have deserted the electorate,” said Mr Kwanka. “Has South Africa become a violent society or have politicians
Bishop Kevin Dowling, seen in a file photo, has warned that South Africa is becoming accustomed to violence. not helped people using the right means? We have failed,” he said. Mr Kwanka said politicians must stop exploiting their power during protests. He recalled asking a demonstrator in Cape Town what she was protesting for. “She did not know. Either she was a part of a ‘rent-a-crowd’ or there was a political agenda behind the protest. This is a failure of political leadership,” he said. He also spoke of the Limpopo text book scandal where political parties failed to notice a problem despite having people on the ground. Mr Kwanka said there is a need to educate the public on their avenues and options available long before violence becomes an option. “We have excellent labour resources,” said Bishop Dowling. He said South Africa has solid procedures in place for labour disputes and for dealing with issues, but most South Africans are unaware of their constitutional right to use these facilities, or of how to access these channels. While elected officials should be listening to the concerns of the electorate, there seems to be a disconnect immediately after voting day, Bishop Dowling said. “We must be principled, proactive leaders at every level,” said Bishop Dowling. “We need skilled negotiators, people who are able to begin the process of dialogue.” Dialogue is the process missing from the current discourse of protest, he said. In this, he added, “church leaders can play a critical role”. Speaking of his diocese, he said those in Marikana did not trust police, government or mine managers and this was an opportunity for church leaders to step in, much like in many other places in the country. “We need to play principled roles, uphold values and not act for personal gain,” the bishop said, commenting on the use of tragedy for political platforms. The UDM’s Mr Kwanka called on political parties to work together to bridge the disconnect between politicians and the electorate . “There is a growing impatience. Fighting fire with fire will not work. Violence breeds more violence.”