The in-ANC anti-education debate is unfortunate. Writes Phapano Phasha

 Let's go back to the preposition of Mike Maile on qualifications because it might have long term implications on the character  of the ANC primarily because the argument is premised on false generosity and does not help the ANC navigate complex challenges we have relating to governance. It's important that I qualify why I am saying Mike's submission is premised on false generosity. 

Now, it's not a secret that the are leaders from Alex in particular who don't meet the basic minimum requirement expected for this Mayoral Processes, it is also not a secret that even those who oversee this process at NEC level from Alex don't have post matric qualification so the set guidelines on qualifications don't work in their favor that's why we are having this discussion.  

Secondly and with due respect, from a class perspective, Mike has no moral authority to suddenly become a spokesperson of the uneducated poor when the same uncertificated leaders have led an elitist program to accumulate wealth in exclusion of the black majority in Gauteng who remain poor and in squalor and even when I meet Mike I will still make the same argument because his submission has nothing to do with his discomfort with the 'educated elitists' it has everything to do with defending his friends. I have already told him he is an elitist lecturing us about elitism so this is not personal he knows my views.

Now back to the ANC and our long Historical relationship with education.

It was King Dinizulu in 1912 in St Helena Island as an exiled banished Zulu King who gave the certificated Pixley Ka Isaka Seme and Langalibale Dube the full authority to launch SANNC/ANC, with the full appreciation that assegai was no longer sophisticated enough to defeat the gun and law wielding coloniser. It was also Chief Montsioa who gave the second black admitted Attorney in this country, George Montsioa authority with Sol Plaatje to launch the ANC? George Montsioa was the first ANC Recording Secretary

It was also not a coincidence that Chief Montsioa who was one of the first honorary Presidents of the ANC, who send Dr/Ngaka Modiri Molema to university to come back to the Barolong community to change the lives of his people? The same Barolong tribe in the 70's which was instrumental in the formation of the ANC collected donations and build Unibo which is now called University of North West. So to associate education with the elite is just a lazy excuse by our comrades. The ANC has always had a healthy relationship with education.

During the dark days of apartheid, in its wisdom the ANC continued to take many young leaders overseas to study and it is not by default, our forebearers knew that one day apartheid will be defeated and the ANC will have the responsibility to govern and thus required a different type of cadre who was fit and proper to govern. 

A Qualification was not just simply a sign of prestige but a vehicle to self determination. We are now governing and have certified millions of our people hence we always proudly speak of the new middle class and as a leader of society we can't now set new different standards for ourselves different to society. 

Even in the 80's the ANC launched a campaign to relearn student leaders who led the "freedom now education later" movement. It is the ANC which equally gathered more than 300 scholars before the eve of democracy to produce a yellow paper on education premised on "People's Education For People's Power". The ANC leadership in its wisdom always saw education as the only vehicle to self realisation or liberation let's not negate that even when it's for expediency.

The argument therefore cannot be that Qualifications are not unattainable because of apartheid because they are attainable and the ANC led government continues to spend billions to educate the masses, the question we should be preoccupied with as a liberation movement which has always understand the importance of education is; whether our education curricular is in line with our overachieving vision/policy on education.

The anti-qualification debate by ANC members is unfortunately reactionary and revisionist because it stands against everything that the ANC represents. The ANC has always appreciated qualifications and has produced and been led by the certified.