TRAGEDY OF THE OPPRESSED By Bohani Shibambu 15 February 2019

The psychology of oppression is devastating, to say the least, to the oppressed. Steve Biko centred his understanding and explanation of oppression to the mind of the oppressed, concluding that the weapon in the hands of the oppressed to free themselves is to free their mind.
It would seem that the oppressed people, after years of toil, suffering and humiliation, learn to accept the superiority of their oppressor and find enemies among themselves. When the struggle seems insurmountable they redirect their anger against their own, whilst making peace with the oppressor. This, they do, whilst professing love of their people, a commitment to struggle and freedom for the masses.

The issues raised by the former Black Consciousness leader and activist, former chairman of the African National Congress (ANC), former defense minister of the republic of South Africa (SA) and the current leader of Congress of the People (COPE), Mosiuoa “Terror” Lekota, against the president of the republic of SA, the student activist, founding Secretary General of the National Union of Mineworkers, chief negotiator of the South African Constitution, the first Secretary-General (SG) of the governing African National Congress (ANC) to be elected at home soil after unbanning and former deputy-president of the ANC, Cyril Ramaphosa; and the legendary pan Africanist, the founding president of the Pan African National Congress (PAC), Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, by Solly Mapailla, are worth considering.

The COPE leader accused Cyril Ramaphosa of selling his comrades out by writing a letter in which he accused them (Lekota and other comrades) of “instilling communist ideas in his head”. And this, according to Lekota sent him and his comrades to Robben Island, whilst Ramaphosa was spared.

To be fair to Solly Mapailla, he says he does not blame Sobukwe for selling out but rather prjects him as a victim. Mapailla reasons that Sobukwe was jailed on Robben island but given a house (instead of a small cell that others like Mandela called home for 27 years), clothes, furniture, books, visitors, etc, in because the jailors regarded him as a political prisoner, and political prisoners, in the jailors’ judgement, were a few notches higher in respectability than criminals. Nelson Mandela and other comrades were regarded as terrorists and, therefore, criminals. For these reasons, they deserved nothing more than the small cells, short pants, crushing of stones on daily basis and all that came with it.
 

It is clear that when the struggle gets tough some among the oppressed get frustrated, accept the superiority of the oppressor or find enemies among themselves.

• First, some get despondent and abandon the cause. There are countless comrades who had to find solace away from struggle.
  Second, some remain in struggle but without exerting effort nor sacrifice. They mean well but have accepted that the oppressed cannot possibly win. And these are disappointed either by the conduct of their own comrades, or find their collective effort against the oppressor’s machinery too meek to make a difference.
• Third, there are those who get captured in action and are tortured, starved of food, sleep, human contact and sound (in solitary confinement) and are made to sign “undertakings” they have not seen, let alone agree or “confessions they don’t agree with, let alone discuss nor understand.
• Fourth, there are those who have never lifted a finger against the oppressor either out of ignorance and have not mobilized into the fighting force of the people or think it is only the delusional who would dare challenge the mighty force of the oppressor
• Fifth, there is a group that has decided that only will they not support the struggle they will actively work against the people and their effort. This includes chasing freedom fighters, assist in their capture and sabotage their plans.
• Sixth, there is a group that remains in struggle, sometimes climbing to the very top of the struggle hierarchy. They remain a symbol of the people’s power and resilience. But deep in their souls have accepted the absurdity of it all and the superiority of the system. They will accept anything in order to be accepted by the master, their oppressor, provided it is kept in the darkness of night, away from the prying eyes of their people: a few shares, some company directorship, some braai chops and beers, children school fees or some monthly stipend.
  

All this helps us to understand that there is a continuum in the actions of the oppressed, from those who cannot lift a finger against the oppressor to those who actively take part in lynching mobs against their people and those who quietly secure personal benefits from their positions instead of serving the people.

There are two things the oppressed don’t realize:

(a) Any struggle has dissenters.

(b) The victims of oppression don’t take kindly to dissent.

(c) The enemy forces know this fact.

(d) Because the oppressor wants to maintain a stranglehold on the people he uses the tactic of casting some as dissenters to maximum effect. He creates doubt among the people and, therefore, divide and weaken them.

Failure to realise this makes the oppressed fall prey to the tactic and abandon unity in favor of retribution and revenge. Some are accused of being naïve, collaborators, sellouts, spies and the corrupt. Like a pack of wild dogs the oppressed maul the suspects but not to feed themselves but rather to sooth their tormented souls.