The Academic Freedom lecture in memory of Prof DCS “Daantjie” Oosthuizen has been held annually since 1970. This year’s lecture was delivered by Mac Maharaj, Special Envoy to the President and veteran of the freedom struggle in South Africa.
Prof Brenda Schmamann, chairperson of the Academic Freedom Committee, welcomed the sizeable audience and gave a brief background on Prof Oosthuizen, who above all was “deeply respected for his profound commitment to justice”. Prof Paul Maylam read the citation for Mr Maharaj, describing the wide array of achievements that are indicative of “a very multi-faceted person” and referring to him as “a central figure at the heart of the struggle”.
Maharaj’s talk focused on the theme of building democracy, and he likened it to the stages of development in a child. “The first 16 years have been the infant years of our democracy,” he said, “we need to recognise this”. He continued to say that as with children, we need an interplay between the past, present and future to get a balanced perspective and prevent pre-occupation with the present, when it might seem as if we are grappling with life-and-death issues.
Referring to some of the current responses in our country, Maharaj pointed out that it doesn’t help to view our problems in an either/or manner and indulge in the blame game or succumb to a sense of victimhood. Instead, he says, “It is critical that situate our efforts in the context of building and deepening our democracy.” He also expressed concern at the growing stridency in our national debates and a tendency towards “trench warfare” where everyone shoots and no-one listens.
Maharaj described his understanding of democracy as something which is open-ended and an ongoing process. The job of democracy was not done when the final version of the Constitution was adopted in 1996. “Groups with competing and complementary interests will always be present in our society,” he stressed. “Democracy acknowledges this and provides us with the means to mediate.”
Struck by the level of anger present in township protests and strikes, Maharaj attributes this to a feeling among ordinary people that they don’t have any power. In the process of a new government taking over and playing the role of provider, it has effectively disempowered people and demobilised civil society. He feels there is a need for people to be engaged in making choices about limited resources. “We need to create mechanisms that make participants rather than bystanders. We need to be checking each other and developing a culture of consensus.” Quoting President Jacob Zuma, he said “We need to allow ourselves to influence and be influenced.”
Referring to the controversial proposal regarding a media tribunal and the Freedom of Information Bill, Maharaj’s take on this was that people should trust the Parliamentary process. He says there is “plenty of room for a productive debate around the media in South Africa” and that he would expect the fullest participation by the public when given the opportunity at hearings in Parliament on the matter. “It’s not enough to say I don’t trust you (the government) – come to the party and engage within the rules of the game.” He also pointed out that freedom of expression, as a right, needs to be seen alongside other rights. “Freedom is indivisible. Our Constitution doesn’t say some rights are more important than others.”