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‘Find beauty within yourselves’ – Albie Sachs

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 Niren Tolsi in conversation with former justices Albie Sachs and Dikgang Moseneke at the launch of their autobiographies.  Picture: Zahra Abba Omar
Niren Tolsi in conversation with former justices Albie Sachs and Dikgang Moseneke at the launch of their autobiographies. Picture: Zahra Abba Omar

“You’re in Lusaka … there could be raids any time … and you’re discussing the future Constitution”. This is how Albie Sachs described the formation of one of the most celebrated constitutions in the world during the launch of the his and Dikgang Moseneke’s autobiographies in conjunction with the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation. The event was hosted by the Apartheid Museum and chaired by Niren Tolsi.

The afternoon session opened with a discussion of the makings of the Constitution, which Sachs said had the “DNA of Oliver Tambo”. Moseneke described the process as “the new journey of our nation”, one that centered on the principle of equality.

Sachs insisted that the Constitution should be viewed as a “scaffolding” or “foundation”, rather than the complete building of modern South Africa. Moseneke elaborated on this, commenting that the Constitution “doesn’t float disconnected” from the strengthening of an “inclusive, caring society” in our country.

Within the practice of upholding the laws of the Constitution, a human touch should be retained. The law cannot be separated from the people, “the brain shouldn’t be fighting the heart”, in Sachs’ words. Moseneke further commented that the “Nkandla moment” gave us the space in which to “lecture each other about the kind of society we’d like to create” by confronting us with “questions about the very fibre of our democracy”.

Referencing the Ayi Kwei Armah novel, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born, Sachs commented that the beautiful ones are not yet born, and that “the beautiful people … will never be born”. We must “find [beauty] in ourselves, generation after generation”.

The former justices both shared fresh insight into youth activism, in particular the #FeesMustFall movement. For Sachs, the movement represents “passion and idealism” that “gives [him] enormous hope” within “difficult and dynamic times”. He urged us to consider the long-term benefit it would serve in our country’s future, noting that the student activists were “the heir of the struggle”.

The overarching message of these luminaries was one of encouragement to never stop working at our democracy. In an era of so much ineffective cynicism, they sought to tap into inherent human goodness and our natural desire to make things better. Moseneke poses within his book whether the liberation struggle was “all in vain”.

May we be inspired by the words and actions of these men to consistently keep proving that the sacrifices of so many have led towards the betterment of society.

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