28/09/2022
Changing The World Through Our Smallest Contributions: Let Us Count The Ways
By Mlulami Mike Ntutela
Friday, 23 September 2022
To Our Dedicated Team Of Project Partners & Facilitators
In recognition of the work done by Econo-Dev Consulting (Pty) Ltd, in collaboration with like-minded formations over a period of two years (2020 - 2022), and under unusual conditions of polarisation of social & economic policy spaces and COVID19, we would like to re-commit ourselves to the cause of social & economic change and appreciate the role you have played, and continue to play, in contributing to any process that seeks to change the lives of the poor majority for the better.
As a registered legal entity and despite a lack of support from public institutions and private business, we are proud to have succesfully convened the following activities;
1. Leadership Planning & Succession Seminar: Ha Re Bue Series held at Zwelitsha Hotel on the 27th April 2021 near eQonce - where church, municipal, youth, women, business and traditional leaders cross-pollinated ideas on leadership development and shared socialised knowledge in the true spirit of humanism, solidarity, brotherhood, sisterhood and justness;
2. A Multi-Party Indaba: The Role Of Political, Church, Traditional, Women, Youth and Business Leaders In Deepening Our Electoral Democracy held on the 27th October 2021 - a democracy education event held just before Local Government Elections 2021 (LGE2021), attended by different political parties and organised in partnership with Bulumko Foundation NPO, held at Schornville Community Hall near eQonce - where political party leaders were invited to share developmental ideas and pathways towards making our democracy work for the majority of the marginalised poor;
3. Telling Our Stories & Re-Writing Our History (Ourselves) Exploratory Meeting held at the Dimbaza Library on the 16th July 2022, facilitated by Sandile Ntobela, Lindile Fikizolo and myself; in which a tour of the Wall of Fame gallery was undertaken - where political, church, traditional, youth, women and business leaders shared development ideas with film-makers on the theatre & film productions which will be an unapologetic account and depiction of forced removals of the already displaced and disempowered black people from Middelburg Cape & Burgersdorp to Dimbaza, Ilinge & Whittlesea between 1967 & early 1970s; and a
4. History of SAAWU Project, 1st Consultative/Introductory Meeting held on the 21st September 2022 at Zone 7 Community Hall in Mdantsane, organised by the Neil Aggett Labour Studies Unit (NALSU), Rhodes University in Makhanda, facilitated by its director Professor Lucien van der Walt and myself, and in which the founding leadership, membership and volunteers of SAAWU participated. With principled guidance, advice and leadership of the former leaders of SAAWU from the former Border, Eastern Province, Natal, Eastern & Western Transvaal regions, including those from the former bantustan homeland regions of Ciskei, Transkei, Zululand, Lebowa, Lebowa-Kgomo, Venda, Phuthaditjhaba and Qwaqwa, and beyond the borders of South Afrika, we are proudly taking it upon ourselves to re-tell and re-write our stories (ourselves) whilst we are still alive for the benefit of young people, trade unionists, political educators, union organisers, progressive academia, historians and future black intelligentsia.
"The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point however is to change it" Karl Marx
(Mlulami Mike Ntutela writes in his capacity as a founding director at Econo-Dev Consulting (Pty) Ltd, and a facilitator responsible for materials development for the History of SAAWU project as undertaken by NALSU, Rhodes University, Makhanda)
