The current state of affairs between the Palestinians in Israel and the former situation of blacks in the apartheid state of South Africa are nearly identical, according to a speech given by Mongezi Sefika Wa Nkomo Monday night.
Nkomo, a political activist, former prisoner and exile of South Africa, spoke of his struggle for international solidarity and his views on current world events.
“Christianity has been hell to me,” Nkomo said. “Judaism has been hell to me.”
Nkomo’s speech was sponsored by the Madison branch of SOLIDARITY, a Socialist-Feminist, anti-racist organization.
Introduced by chairman Allen Ruff as “A man beaten. A man tortured. A man jailed, who understands another form of racial apartheid,” Nkomo described himself in even broader terms.
“I’m a human being,” he said. “I’m a product of the African National Congress. My upbringing has been polycentric. I’m part of a global black people who are challenging white supremacy wherever it is.”
Nkomo began his speech with an explanation of South African history.
Despite fleeing European religious persecution, upon arrival in South Africa white settlers considered themselves “children of God,” he began. The new settlers, in order to promote separation of the races, made laws to dispose the natives and apartheid was born.
“Natives were regarded as units of labor,” Nkomo said. “Apartheid was a life-long dehumanization.”
As a specific example, Nkomo cited education, which did not progress beyond the eighth grade for most of the natives. “Education is training to incorporate slaves,” he said. “The state selectively provides [education] to those it chooses to be citizens.”
Nkomo also claimed the same situations now occur in the state of Palestine.
He also claimed that the United States and Israel now employ a religious theocracy, heightened tuition fees and the removal of people from their land to subjugate the Middle East and profit from their resources.
“The U.S. has a double agenda to get oil from the Caspian Sea field,” he said.
Regarding the current conflict with Iraq, Nkomo did not mince words.
“The aim of this war is to deny peace in the Middle Peace state,” he said. “The U.S. has no right to impose hostility on Iraq.”
Using the lack of blue-collar worker benefits in comparison to the salaries of entertainers, Nkomo pleaded with the audience, “Please, please, please let’s start with ourselves,” he said. “Where are our priorities? We don’t have the integrity to choose for the leadership of Iraq.”
“Unfortunately,” Nkomo added, “Capitalists thrive on conflict.”
The short speech was followed by a lively question-and-answer session in which several Israeli-American citizens debated the government of Israel president Sharon.
“Since Sharon came to power, more people have died due to bombing then ever before,” one woman commented.
Nkomo cut the discussion short on a theological note.
“Moses isn’t here,” he said. “Mohammad isn’t here. Jesus isn’t here. We are on our own.”
“Every religion is about justice,” he said. “Yet here you have people using religion to dehumanize people.”
