Thursday November 30 1995

Interview with Linda Mti

ANC confident after 18 months in power

FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW a senior member of the African National Congress opened West Belfast's winter school, An Eigse.

Linda Mti, elected MP in May 1994, is Regional Chairperson of the ANC in the Eastern Cape and a national executive member of the ANC. Mti, as security spokesperson for the ANC, has a wide remit of responsibility as he sits on the Intelligence Bills Committee and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence.

Imprisoned by the Apartheid Regime in 1977 along with Steve Biko Mti was released in August 1978.

After his release, Mti was forced to leave South Africa and went into exile to Lesotho where he joined the ANC. While in Lesotho, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique Mti held senior positions in the ANC, before rising to become a senior commander in Umkhonto WeSizwe (Spear of the Nation) the armed freedom fighters of South Africa.

After his return from exile Mti was deployed by the ANC in his home city of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape where he rose to the leadership of the organisation.

AP/RN first asked Mti if the ANC in government had found it difficult to live up to the peoples' expectations of it after the years of Apartheid. Mti replied that the ANC and its allies in government, including the South African Communist Party, had a programme of Reconstruction and Development which ``is government policy coming from our election manifesto. It is aimed at addressing the needs of the ordinary people.

The arrest of Magnus Malan, Defence Minister in the last Apartheid government, on charges of murder and setting up the `third force' which was used to foment anti-ANC violence in the townships strengthened the confidence of the people in the government.

``What has to be done is not easy but there is no doubt about its correctness. The reconstruction and development programme evolved out of various conferences held by our people, so our people own it. The government has shortcomings in funds to implement the programme, it's taking time, but you can't compare the government's 18 months in office with the 40 years of apartheid''.

Pointing out that the people still have confidence in the ANC Mti said: ``Before the local elections on 21 November, commentators predicted the ANC would do badly because it had not implemented its programme. But we got more votes in the areas where we stood than we did in the elections of April 1994. People demonstrated their commitment and trust in the ANC as a party and a government party.''

Despite attempts by various parties to stir racist fears ``the people are becoming more confident and see President Mandela as a unifying force''.

But what about the relationship with De Klerk's National Party in government?

``It is an interesting relationship. Former political adversaries are now part of the government of national unity. This was a government brought about by negotiations, it is a cooperational relationship. In one way they have to cooperate with us and play a roll as an opposition also.''

We asked if the arrests of Magnus Malan (Defence Minister in the last Apartheid government) on charges of murder and setting up the `third force' which was to used to foment anti-ANC violence in the townships affected the working of the government?

Without the struggle by the people and by our organisation in particular, it doesn't matter who was the president, change had to come to South Africa regardless of who was at the helm.

According to Mti the arrests had the opposite effect and, ``strengthened the confidence of the people in the government''.

``They confirmed what we have always said; the executive must be separated from the judiciary, allowing the judicial process to take its own course. Before the local elections a lot of people thought the arrests would impact negatively on the ANC. And a lot of white right-wing organisations tried to generate fear so that the arrests would impact positively for the conservative and national parties but they all lost dismally.''

On his time in exile Mti said:

``Exile was an experience that was quite enriching, it's a contradiction because I wasn't happy being outside the country. I missed my parents, then both my mother and my father died while I was in exile and I could not even bury them.''

The South African likened the ANC to a family: ``I was able to get all that I wanted and I developed politically and academically within the ranks of the ANC.''

On Gerry Adams visit to South Africa the ANC activist assured us the visit was positive and exposed ordinary South Africans to the situation in Ireland:

``Under apartheid, Irish republicans were presented as `bloodthirsty', and the regime accused the ANC of having links with the IRA to discredit both organisations.

``We saw Gerry's visit as strengthening the bond of friendship between our two peoples.''

AP/RN asked about F.W. De Klerk who spoke in Dublin at the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, his role in the peace process and how he is presented as a peacemaker.

Mti said there wasn't a problem with that as long as De Klerk is not projected as a main mover in the peace process. He was one of the catalysts in the formula, but not necessarily the main component of it. ``I think that sometimes there is a tendency in his party to present himself as the major mover. Without the struggle by the people and by our organisation in particular, it doesn't matter who was the president, change had to come to South Africa regardless of who was at the helm of the government.''

And on the Irish peace process?

``We are following the events here with great care and hoping that it will yield fruit, as in our own country.''