News reports that the late Guyana President Forbes Burnham was to be honoured by South Africa disappoints those of us who fought against apartheid rule. It also does a disservice to those who truly fought against colonial rule. The award dishonours the memory of the late Guyanese scholar Dr Walter Rodney and others who were assassinated under the Burnham regime for their political dissent and the many others who were victims in the struggle for the restoration of democracy. Many Guyanese escaped a life of racism and poverty residing illegally in T&T for a long time before regularising their status.
The ruling ANC in South Africa says it is honouring Burnham for his anti-colonial and anti-apartheid struggle rule. They are wrong. Burnham did not contribute significantly against apartheid; in fact, according to Dr Cheddi Jagan and others, Burnham practised apartheid rule at home. Moreover, Burnham did not significantly struggle against colonial rule. Activists worldwide, including Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and the late Maurice Bishop, condemned him as a colonialist and imperialist.Burnham was no democrat. He established a fascist dictatorship. He belonged in the same category as John Vorster, PW Botha and Ian Smith, all of whom stubbornly governed with minority support. Burnham was the champion of racist rule and perfected the art of political and racial victimisation using Machiavellian tactics.
At the Gopio Indian Diaspora Convention in 1989 at Sheraton, Manhattan, Dr Jagan appealed to the body to condemn racism in Guyana describing it as "a mini apartheid state." A resolution was passed condemning apartheid rule in Guyana.Freedom fighter Moses Nagamootoo wrote repeatedly how Burnham used food as a political weapon, banning foods essential to the diet of Indians. Burnham also banned religious items used by Indians to practise their diverse faiths. Surely, the ANC intellectuals and activists are familiar with the struggle waged in Guyana and internationally against Burnham's racist rule. I worked with ANC activists at City College to oppose apartheid and my South African friends joined us in condemning Burnham's repressive rule as well as the assassination of Rodney. Many of us picketed the South African Consulate and Embassy to the UN.
I remember in early 1980s in New York joining CCNY President Bernard Harleston and Vice President George McDonald as well as Student Activities Director Ed Evans to engage in civil disobedience in front of the South Africa mission to the UN. Prof James Small and Len Jeffries also went to the protest.They submitted themselves for arrest for civilian disobedience while I did not (because I did not want an arrest profile as a student) in calling for an end to apartheid rule. I wrote twice to Oliver Tambo about apartheid rule soliciting his assistance to fight against Burnhamism. And when Mandela was released from jail, I also wrote to him to seek his assistance to return Guyana to democratic rule. I never got a response from either one and neither one helped us in our battle to restore democracy in Guyana.
It is inexplicable who would have lobbied the ANC for Burnham to receive this award. There are those who are going to the end of the earth to rehabilitate Forbes Burnham but only succeed in opening up old wounds including going to jail for eating bread, roti and aloo curry. I don't know what could have motivated ANC officials to denigrate their party linking it to Burnham. The current crop of ANC rulers are familiar with Rodney's name from his professor days in Tanzania from where he advocated against apartheid and supported African liberation movements. In Guyana, Rodney was the second most popular political leader after Jagan from the mid-1970s till his assassination in June 1980. He succeeded more than anyone else in bringing Blacks and Indians together to oppose the apartheid Burnham state.
The entire world opposed apartheid and Burnham did not do anything extraordinary. Mahatma Gandhi and Rodney played far greater roles than Burnham.Walter Rodney, Eusi Kwayana, Prof Clive Thomas, Bernard Harleston and Gandhi are far more deserving of recognition than Burnham. Oliver Tambo stood up against oppression as many did. The granting of this posthumous award in his honour demeans the memory of Oliver Tambo and people like Mandela who spent 28 years in jail fighting racism as we did in Guyana for the same period. The ANC government should consider withdrawing the award.
Vishnu Bisram