The stupidity of the South African Government

Apr 30, 2013 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

If service to the cause of African liberation in the continent is the criterion by which the South African Government confers the Oliver Tambo Award then Forbes Burnham of Guyana deserves it more than most of those who previously had it given to them.
If the Oliver Tambo Award is bestowed on human beings who have contributed meaningfully to the cause of human freedom then none of the recipients in the past comes within a billion miles of deserving it.
What is quite clear is that the Tambo Order is not offered to humans that have specifically contributed towards greater freedom for human civilization. It is not a prize that concerns itself with such ethereal details. It is designed to honour those who made a very positive impact on the freedom of the peoples of the African continent.
Therefore we can leave this part of the discussion. The Nobel Peace Prize is for those who serve the total interest of humanity.
Now if the Tambo Order is for service in the cause of Africans how can you not give it to Forbes Burnham? Forbes Burnham does not merit any prize that honours persons for their outstanding contribution to freedom in general in the world but certainly to Africa specifically.
He was a politically fantastic Third World planner. He was ahead of his time on the invention of pathways that can lead to Third World development. But he had no respect for the sacred, decent, humane, democratic use of power. Despite all his patriotism towards his country and the continent of Africa, he was an unapologetic embracer of absolute power. It destroyed him and that was a sad day for the people of Africa because he did care for the African people.
He was a dictator that denied people their freedom, turning a blind eye to his government’s involvement in murder. There is no philosopher or genius scholar in this world that, with a decent face, can successfully defend Burnham as a leader who ran Guyana.
I know about Burnham’s obsessive mind because I was a victim of his naked power. They say that he who didn’t feel it cannot understand it. I felt it so I knew who Burnham was.
One suspects that the Tambo Order was withdrawn because of Burnham’s involvement in the murder of Walter Rodney. If that is so then the South African Government is more stupid to withdraw it from Burnham when the very prize has been conferred on those who killed their opponents.
The circumstances of Rodney’s death are undergoing revisionist assessment. It is emerging that Burnham had intelligence that Rodney was planning his overthrow. Those who were around at the time knew that. It would appear that Burnham fearing a trial and maybe a jail sentence or even death during a revolution, decided to assassinate Rodney.
It is asinine for anyone to exonerate Burnham from the plot. The bold, graphic facts that have permanently damaged Burnham’s credibility were the attitude of the State hours after the death.
Leaflets were circulated in Georgetown accusing Rodney of trying to blow up the jail. That was a lie. The GDF officially denied Gregory Smith was ever in the force. That was a lie. Burnham made no attempt to arrest Smith but charged Rodney’s brother. Smith lived happily in French Guiana while Burnham supporters did nothing to clear Burnham’s name. They didn’t want to and they couldn’t.
Burnham was involved.
Whenever Burnham’s name comes up, the murder of Rodney comes up. Burnham made a tragic mistake. He should have arrested Rodney if he had the evidence of treasonable activity. I believe he had the proof but he chose not to lock up Rodney but to kill him. For that, he cannot and must not be seen as a leader that contributed to greater freedom in the world.
Rodney was a good man who did not deserve to die. He remains one of my heroes. He always will.
On the criterion of the Tambo Award, Forbes Burnham deserves it. He was a gigantic contributor to the liberation phenomenon in African more than the majority of the awardees who received the prize before. When you read the list of recipients, then in deferring the Order, the South African Government has insulted the people of Guyana and African people in the entire world.
I do not like or will ever like Forbes Burnham. I adore Walter Rodney but the indisputable fact is that based on involvement n freeing the people of the African continent from white domination, Forbes Burnham’s record is fantastic.

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The stupidity of the South African Government

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