WHAT'S WRONG WITH GROOVIN? EPISODE 4

WHAT’S WRONG WITH GROOVIN? EPISODE 4

By: Mohau Bosiu

This week on WHAT’S WRONG WITH GROOVIN? we celebrated one of the world’s most illustrious leaders, Oliver Reginald Tambo, the beloved OR. OR Tambo was born in Mbizana, eastern Pondoland, the region that is today referred to as Eastern Cape, in 1917 and he departed our earthly mould in 1993 at age 76.

OR led South Africa’s foremost liberation movement – the ANC, for three decades during its banishment from conducting its operations within the country. As such, OR Tambo galvanised the largest international liberation movement against apartheid, through his external mission, which had the principal goal of ushering a democratic South Africa.

Using the theatre of radio, we traveled back in time to a place in Lusaka, Zambia, following a story retailed by Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo, with meticulous detail.

1978, at 10 Kalungu Road, the sound of UFOs hover the crescent house menacingly early in the morning. The local Zambians are terrified by the rude awakening of the Rhodesians who colluded with the apartheid Pretoria regime. They had flown their airplanes here at one of the safe houses of the movement, searching for OR ‘the terrorist.’ This angered Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda, and he became more stoic in his support for the South African liberation struggle.

OR managed to turn the tide of opinion against the apartheid regime, the world over. During the show, we chronicled his friendships with other world leaders who were united around a common vision, as told by historian Luli Callinicos. These leaders included Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, and others.

Oliver Tambo, Sam Nujoma, Kenneth Kaunda and Julius Nyerere.

OR Tambo was a leader of a strong ethical fiber, and during the show, we observed how his values are being eroded by some in today’s leadership who are contemptuous of the principles the liberation movement was founded upon.

It is a rapacious and parasitic leadership that is focused on self-enrichment, who, in practice, embody the slogan ‘F*¥k The people,’ usurping the Freedom Charter’s injunction that ‘The People Shall Govern.’

Drawing from one of the tenets of the Freedom Charter that all national groups shall have equal rights, we took the liberty to impress into our consciousness that ‘we need to see more gay people represented in leadership positions, not just in LGBTQ+ issues, but in all social issues affecting the country. We also need more queer education and awareness of active citizenship.’

Here is the tracklist for WHAT’S WRONG WITH GROOVIN? episode 4, if you missed it: