THE METHODIST CHURCH OF SOUTHERN AFRICA
CONNEXIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE:03 July 2012
DARE TO DREAM
We have descended to East London from various countries of our Connexion. Allow me to say a word of gratitude to district coordinators for thinking out of the box. It has been a tradition of this august movement to elect one of them to lead Connexionaly. Our watershed conference in Botswana had delegates who were determined and steadfast on their electoral preferences but let me commend their discipline and respect. We are all sons and daughters of Wesley; a united movement which shall differ at times because of being spoilt by choices. Let me thank you for entrusting me with this responsibility. I am well aware that I am the first amongst the equals in this collective leadership.
Let me pay my respect to our predecessors who have led this gigantic movement to greater heights. I joined this movement during the time of Rev Lindsay Hayward, followed by Rev Themba Mntambo who led during the time of political transition, Rev Moses whose thoughts on the Youth Unit as a business enterprise still echoes in my ears, Rev Moagi Sikhejane, brother Sizwe Ngwendu and sister Zoleka Maki who have steered this ship through murky waters and we shall continue to be indebted to them. I must commend Rev Sikhejane for the job he did in leading all of us including me, my leader, my commander I salute you.
When we take an aerial world overview we see the fall of the mighty European markets and the loss of capitalistic invincibility have reduced countries like Greece to basket cases, Spain, Portugal and Italy will most likely follow sooner rather than later. We see the imperialist forces being on an overdrive in being opportunistic in people’s revolution across Middle East and Africa dubbed ‘the Arab Spring Uprisings’.
We have seen once more the African Union being reduced to an appendage by Nato Forces in Lybia and in Ivory Coast in the removal of Gaddaffi and Laurent Gagbo respectively.
Unfortunately in Africa today, we are led by a crop of leaders who are easily bullied and pushed aside by the West and have very little to offer even in their respective countries.
We have lost a strategic voice in Africa, a voice that not only put this continent of ours in its rightful place in World politics but also firmly and correctly proclaimed that this is an African Century.
Adam Smith on the Theory of Moral Sentiments says about the leaders we have today “they are the most frivolous and superficial of mankind only those who can be much delighted with that praise which they themselves know to be altogether unmerited”. Our leaders in Africa today, leave exactly according to these sentiments expressed above. They are consumed and concerned by amassing power for themselves and their families rather than to push forward with the noble agenda of developing the lives of the African child.
Sadly, our country South Africa is not immune to this unfortunate phenomenon. Coming out of being respected world-wide since 1994, with the world’s revered state’s man Nelson Mandela, at the helm, driving reconciliation in the midst of adversity and cynicism by many; we soon became symbol of hope and admiration in the World.
Our second President, whilst consolidating Madiba’s reconciliation legacy, changed gear and pushed hard without any apologies, a programme of restoring what Africa as a continent deserved, popularly known as African Renaissance. Parallel to that programme, President Mbeki stretched our country, its resources and its people to dream big, to believe in itself and restored dignity and respect to its people. At the World stage we were at the main table, whether it is G8 or G20 we could not be ignored anymore. In Africa, the principle of “African problem being solved by Africans themselves” was not only acknowledged but actually practiced.
Today, we have become a country that celebrates mediocre through and through; we ululate and pat ourselves with misleading matric (grade 12) results every year that are shameful, with people like Prof Jansen of University of Free State saying they will not accept grade 12 learners despite their pass results. The same goes with reshuffling Cabinet three times within a space of three years; it only gives an impression on uncertainty, lack of clarity of purpose and feeds in well with the stereo type of “it can only happen in Africa”.
From a social front, the world applauded us, correctly so, for hosting the 2010 Soccer World Cup so successfully, but with Bafana Bafana exiting so early on in the tournament, did we really need to celebrate simply because we beat France and yet we hold a dubious title of being the first hosts to exit in the first round? In the very recent past, the country almost came to a standstill over an offensive painting by an artist. Should we not have the likes of Brett Murray expressing in Art the best this country can offer and not the First Citizen’s genitals? Where have we lost the plot?
I am a reminded of the Titanic whilst it was about to sink some people were playing with ice from the iceberg being ignorant of their fate. I think that would be the worst state of affairs, where things would go wrong and we keep quiet. Even more horrifying would be a situation where if we speak out on how we see things in our country, wrath would come down upon us like a ton of bricks, as it happened recently to Dr. Ruel Khoza who in my view, correctly identified that “we are led by a strange breed of leadership whose interests is in power” and he was declared a persona non grata.
Having said all of the above, we must congratulate the African National Congress (ANC) led by the kind and affable person, President Zuma, the oldest liberation movement in Africa on its Centenary Celebrations. Over the years, this movement has produced extra-ordinary leadership, men and women of such substance that it is no accident of history that the ANC is still here today, leading this country of ours.
As our Presiding Bishop, the Rev Siwa said in his sermon in Bloemfontein during the very first Centenary celebrations this year 2012, that the bones of the forefathers of the ANC did not only contribute to its unity to-date but must be a springboard from which to chat the way forward for the next hundred years of this great movement. I would sincerely encourage the young people to read the Kairos Document which does an in-depth analysis of the 100 years of ANC.
In our context as the family of Wesleyans we must also congratulate the YMG on its Centenary. We dare not forget Rev Charles Phamla, Rev Gideon Bhaqwa and Rev Bernard Mabona who were the pioneers of Amadodana.
If the Presiding bishop was here we would remind him that our prophetic voice has been mute. We must articulate without fear or favor as the voice of the voiceless, speaking truth to power at all times.
Yes it is easier said than done because power does not take kindly in being rebuked or reprimanded. Bishop Don Camara of the Latin Americas knows about this when he says, “when I give food to the poor they call me a saint but when I ask why the poor don’t have food they call me a communist”.
Methodist conference will be held in Swaziland this year where King Mswati has his priorities as I, me and myself, yet his people go to bed hungry and has one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rate in the world. The question we should ask ourselves is, what is our contribution to the lives of the people of Swaziland? As a church, whose members suffer the indignity of hunger, poverty and unemployment in that country, should we keep quiet and look away whilst the situation deteriorates further?
Remember the words of prophet Jeremiah in the book of Lamentations 1: 12 “ is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see. Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me…..” Are we afraid to be kicked out of Swaziland that we cannot engage the King about his life of opulence as the Methodist church?
In a similar vein, we must congratulate the people of Lesotho for the successful and peaceful election they had recently.
We welcome our delegation from Mozambique to this Connexional Youth Conference, without you, this family is incomplete (ingwamino, ingwarasang).
We are meeting in the Eastern Cape a province which prides itself on leadership and education because it has produced the best of people like John Tengo Jabavu, A.C. Jordan, Tiyo Soga, S.E.K. Mqhayi, O.R Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Steve Biko, Robert Sobukhwe, W.B. Rubusana, Enoch Sontonga who composed Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, and many others. Many of us do not know that this anthem was first sung at a Methodist ordination service of Rev Boweni in 1899.
It is ironic that today when you speak about this province two things come to our minds poverty and poor education standards.
We need to remind people at Bhisho that this province was the cradle to produce intellectuals of this continent at University of Fort Hare, Lovedale and Healdtown.
Why Dare to Dream
Dare to Dream is clarion call for all of us as young people to dream and relive our dreams once more. If you cannot dream, you are dead alive and only waiting to be certified so.
When Martin Luther King Junior proclaimed, “I Have a Dream”, it was in the midst of death of black youth and subjugation but that could not stop him from dreaming of a better America. They sang in unison ‘we shall overcome’.
When Nelson Mandela went into Robben Island for 27 years he cherished a dream that one day this country shall be free from apartheid and we are. We sang, senzeni na, senzeni na?
Barack Obama believed in the American Dream that all citizens of that country can aspire to be whatever they wish even to be a president. Indeed some of us thought its April fools day when he stood up and declared himself a candidate, today he is the first black president of America.
Therefore I say to you, dare to dream.
When we say ‘Dare to Dream’ we are reminding young people to be dreamers of a better world than they find it. The gap between reality and expectation brings disillusionment and disappointment yet we cannot stop dreaming because we believe our dreams are possible. Sometimes disillusionment is brought by the fact that we do not own our dreams or we rent them from other people.
Dare to Dream means to stop the dependence syndrome, spirit of entitlement from government, and allow ourselves to explore our own abilities. For how long shall we wait for others to pay for our dreams? Yes a dream is free but the journey to fulfillment is costly, so are we prepared to loose a limb and risk everything to realize our dreams.
Biblically dreams come to declare God’s intentions about us. As we have learnt from Joseph in the book of Genesis, dreams can be dangerous, they can breed enemies and hatred even in a family , and his brothers said “here is that dreamer”. Joseph teaches us that dreams can make others to be jealous, deceitful, envious and betrayal but if those dreams are coming from God they shall come to pass. Dreams are powerful too, they contradict the misery and poverty of today and inspire us to look forward to a better future. Joseph’s life did not end in a pit, or as a slave but a prime minister in Egypt.
Dreams make us uncomfortable and warn us like it did to Pilate through his wife about Jesus on Matt. 27:19 “when he was set down on the judgement seat, his wife sent him, saying. Have nothing to do with that just man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream, because of him”. So it is up to us to heed such warnings.
The book of Numbers 12:6 says, when a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams”. Our hope is when we live this conference we shall be the prophets whom God shall reveal his visions and speak to us in dreams which we shall interpret them correctly being led by the Holy Spirit. British SAS segment has a motto “who dares wins`’, surely the opposite of this motto reins true, who does not looses.
God is speaking, dare to dream.
As young people let me be at liberty to remind you of the three apples that changed the world, Adam and Eve’s apple, Newton’s apple and late Steve Jobs’ apple. Addressing students at Stanford University, Steve Jobs said, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish”. Steve is the man who introduced the expensive and sophisticated apple mac laptop and i-pads. So I urge all of us to Stay Hungry and Stay Foolish in daring for our dreams. Apple Company was started in a garage at Steve’s parents house when he was 20 and it grew to be what it is today because he was Hungry and Foolish. Steve had a dream in his bed and he woke up, acted on it.
Dare to dream young people, dare to dream
Young people Connexional Youth Conference as a decision-making body and policy formulation and adoption has to be jealously guarded however we must resuscitate the Connexional Youth Executive for operational matters and strategic sessions. This will create synergy between the executive and districts. We cannot continue to work in silos as this is a unitary movement. Also our predecessors made us aware that our decision making process is too long, tardy and cumbersome and that is why we are big on dreams and small or nothing to show on implementation of our programme of action.
As a collective we have designed an M-Plan with 5 Points that shall direct and measure ourselves against for the next three years. We will not re-invent the wheel as such, as we have had time to engage our predecessors on their past dreams for this glorious movement.
History students remind us that an M-Plan is named after George Marshall who was tasked to come up with a plan for Economic Recovery after the 1st World War. Also Nelson Mandela in the early 1950’s was tasked to devise an M-Plan for the formation of underground network and mobilization of masses.