It’s Unfair That Neither the ANC Or Nelson Mandela Recognized Milton Obote for His Fight for Freedom in South Africa
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In 1971 President Obote Was Overthrown
While Preaching Against The Apartheid Regime In South Africa But He Has Never
Been Recognised For His Efforts
They say that success has got so many godfathers
while failure is an orphan. This saying seems to be applicable to the case of former
Ugandan president Milton Obote who brags about having liberated Uganda twice-first
from British colonialism 1962 and from the brutal dictatorship of president
Amin in 1979.
You will get o know what this idiom is about when
you read the article to the end.
On the 18th July, which was last week, the
world celebrated the Nelson Mandela day.
The Nelson Mandela day is actually an annual
international day in honour of Nelson Mandela. The day was officially declared by the United
Nations in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on 18 July 2010.
To mark the first global celebration of Mandela Day
on 18 July 2009, Mandela's 91st birthday, a series of educational, art exhibit,
fund-raising and volunteer events leading up to a concert at Radio City Music
Hall on 18 July were organised by the 46664 concerts and the Nelson Mandela
Foundation.
Although a lot of innovations have been put in recognising
Nelson Mandela’s fight for justice, there has been a deliberate lack of recognition
for other Africans who supported and fought for Nelson Mandela’s cause for
social justice.
One of the most prominent Africans who invested most
of his life in the fight for freedom i south Africa was former Ugandan
president Apollo Milton Obote.
There is enough evidence to show that President Obote
was overthrown in 1971 partly because of his fight for justice in South Africa.
Obote had been part of the frontline states that had stood up against the racist
regime in South Africa. They took a number of measures to isolate the minority
regime in South Africa.The sanctions included a travel ban to both South Africa and Israel.
The travel band ensured that Ugandans couldn’t travel to all countries apart from South Africa and Israel.
To effect the ban, the Ugandan government issued passports which had a disclaimer at the back cover that read thus; ‘’travel to all countries apart from South Africa and Israel’’.
It must be stressed that Apollo Milton Obote could be the only president in the world who lost power because of his views about apartheid in South Africa.
When Andrew Mwenda interviewed the exiled former Ugandan president in Lusaka Zambia, Obote confessed that he paid the price for his support for the cause of justice in South Africa.
Yet when nelson Mandela walked out of prison in the early 90s, Obote was still alive, but Mandela never mentioned anything about the role the likes of Obote played in fighting for his freedom.
I found it imperative to pick some part of the interview where he talks about what transpired during and after the 1971 coup.
Below is Obote’s unedited version of the story about the 1971 coup was as follows;
‘’The Israelis were also involved in the coup of 1971. In 1970, we had arrested an Israeli mercenary, Steiner, and we deported him to Sudan where he was due to testify in court, a factor that would have exposed Amin's involvement in the coup plot. Another factor leading to the coup was the British. There was a conference in Singapore of the Commonwealth countries.
I didn't want to go to Singapore because one, there was going to be elections in Uganda around April; two, I had to complete presentation or writing of third five year government development plan.
British Prime Minister Edward Heath announced that Britain was going to resume arms sales to South Africa.
I did research on the nature of arms sales by Britain to South Africa and its likely implications on the liberation struggles in the whole of southern Africa. I presented the research to my colleagues, and requested that since the research could only be presented by me at the Commonwealth conference, I should go to Singapore. I reluctantly and in the interest of African liberation decided to go to Singapore. I left the country on January 11, 1971.
In Singapore, I presented my case. Heath made a statement saying: "Those who are condemning the British policy to sell arms to South Africa, some of them will not go back to their countries." I understood it to refer to me. I rang Babiiha, and Bataringaya who said there was an attempted coup. They said Amin had planned to assassinate me upon arrival at the airport but they had taken care of that. Secondly they said they had alerted loyal army officers. I told them that was very little, too late.
“Oh dear, Oh dear,” I told them on phone, “it’s already too late, it’s already too late!” Later, Bataringaya rang me from Kampala and told me that the coup had succeeded. Amin had said the army has asked him to take over government. I called my delegation to my room and briefed them about the situation back home. I said, “Loyalty to me personally ends here. When we are free either in Bombay or Kenya, you will decide for yourselves what to do, go back to Uganda or go to exile with me.”
'’’
Despite of the overwhelming support and risks Obote
took in the fight for social justice on South Africa, he has never been
recognised by the African National Congress and its leadership.
Mandela could have been in prison for 27 years but
he had an obligation to recognize those who were with him in the fight for
freedom of South Africa. The likes of Kenneth Kaunda, Julius Nyerere and Milton
Obote deserve to be recognized for their role as leaders of the front-line states
that were opposed to apartheid in South Africa.
The South African government still has an obligation
to recognize and award medals to all personalities and countries that risked
for the freedom of South Africa.
Mandela was not alone in the fight for justice. So as
we celebrate the nelson Mandela day , we need to talk about those who stood
with him and south Africa during that hot hour of need.
But it’s amazing that Obote who lost power due to
his views for freedom in South Africa is not mentioned anywhere during the festivities
to mark freedom in South Africa.
Maybe, the saying that success has many godfathers, while
failure is an orphan is applicable here, since Obote lost power and is
considered a villain he remains an orphan.
The
author Fred Daka Kamwada is a journalist and a blogger Contact him at kamwadafred@gmail.com
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