{"id":234217,"date":"2023-05-01T12:00:53","date_gmt":"2023-05-01T11:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=234217"},"modified":"2023-04-28T04:32:34","modified_gmt":"2023-04-28T03:32:34","slug":"national-peace-disruption-this-is-a-nation-of-thieves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2023\/05\/national-peace-disruption-this-is-a-nation-of-thieves\/","title":{"rendered":"National Peace Disruption: This Is a Nation of Thieves"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thievery and thieves in operation are attributes of basic, human, reptilian brain in the course of evolution and is refined in Homo Sapiens, Sapiens[i]<\/a>. [ii]<\/a> <\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Moses and Aaron with the Ten , which includes “Thou shalt not steal.”
Painting circa 1675 by Aron de Chavez<\/p><\/div>\n

22 Apr 2023 – <\/em>The Ten Commandments[1]<\/a>, as a divine scripture in Judaism, was revealed to Prophet Moshe [2]<\/a>as painted by a Dutch artist Aron de Chavez in 1675[3]<\/a>. The commandment “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15)[4]<\/a> is the eighth or seventh commandment in the Decalogue[5]<\/a>, depending on the tradition. It forbids taking or keeping another person’s property without permission, as well as other forms of injustice and dishonesty regarding earthly goods and the fruits of labor. It also implies a positive duty to give rather than get, and to live in communion with God and neighbor. The Hebrew word for steal in this commandment can also mean to deceive or carry away.\u00a0\u00a0 The eighth commandment in the Bible’s Old Testament [6]<\/a>is “Thou shalt not steal.” It is one of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai[7]<\/a>, as recorded in the book of Exodus. The commandment prohibits taking someone else’s property without permission, and also encompasses acts such as fraud, embezzlement, and extortion. However, this rule designed to prescribe human behavior, is not only applicable to all universal religious beliefs and cultures, but to all civil societies, globally and forms the very foundation of ethical and cultured behavioural patterns of all humans. Transgression of this basis rule of conduct is unacceptable and indeed punishable by law not only in the biblical times, but also in the modern society.\u00a0 This is certainly not the case in present day South Africa, where corruption at the highest levels of government prevails, with no accountability, nor any punishment in return for blatant and proven transgression of the commandment.<\/p>\n

Stokely Carmichael, later known as Kwame Ture[8]<\/a>, was a prominent figure in the American civil rights movement and a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee [9]<\/a>(SNCC). It is appropriate to quote Carmichael, as the central theme of this paper \u201cThis country is a nation of thieves. It stole everything it has, beginning with black people. The U.S. cannot justify its existence as the policeman of the world any longer. I do not want to be a part of the American pie. The American pie means raping South Africa, beating Vietnam, beating South America, raping the Philippines, raping every country you\u2019ve been in. I don\u2019t want any of your blood money. I don\u2019t want to be part of that system. We must question whether or not we want this country to continue being the wealthiest country in the world at the price of raping everybody else.\u201d\u00a0 While as a Black person, the quote was in the context of United States, it appears that Carmichael was a prophesier, and coined the term \u201cThis is a nation of thieves\u201d, noting that he died in 1998 and his quotes are even true today as well as applicable, in global context in general, but in South Africa, in particular, especially post freedom since 1994. It can be said that South African politicians not only achieved freedom from the oppressive apartheid, white regime but also freedom to steal in the broadest sense of the term, as unearthed by the numerous scandals that have rocked the present government of President Cyril Ramaphosa[10]<\/a>, who himself is implicated in the Phala Phala Scandal[11]<\/a>. The Phala Phala farm scandal is a controversy involving South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and a burglary of his private game farm in Limpopo in February 20201. A former intelligence chief and ally of Ramaphosa’s rival Jacob Zuma claimed that the thieves found and stole millions of dollars in foreign cash hidden in furniture. Ramaphosa denied any wrongdoing and challenged a parliamentary report that accused him of serious misconduct. The media dubbed it the “farmgate” scandal.\u00a0 While the term “a nation of thieves” has been used by various individuals and media outlets to describe corruption in South Africa, it is important to note that the term was recorded as being first coined by a Black person, Carmichael and is now applicable to South Africa.<\/p>\n

At this point it is also necessary to review the brief political history of South Africa since 1994, whereby we now have the fourth democratically elected president.\u00a0 The first was President Mandela[12]<\/a>, followed by President Thabo Mbeki[13]<\/a>, who was asked to \u201cstep down\u201d.\u00a0 Thabo Mbeki resigned as President of South Africa on September 21, 2008, following a recall by the African National Congress, to be succeeded By President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma[14]<\/a>, who was forced to resign on February 14, 2018 and presently the country\u2019s helm is under the control of President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa[15]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Wednesday, the 27th<\/sup> of April 1994 is an important day in South African history because it was the day of the country’s first democratic, non-racial elections. [16]<\/a>These elections marked the end of apartheid, a system of institutionalised racial segregation and systemic discrimination based on the colour of the human skin, that had been in place in South Africa since 1948, under the White, minority Nationalist government. The elections were the result of lengthy negotiations between the members of the White, apartheid government, led by the last, White President of South Africa, Frederik Willem de Klerk [17]<\/a>and the African National Congress (ANC), led by political activities and Robben Island detainee, Nelson Mandela, and other political parties.\u00a0 Nelson Mandela spent a total of 27 years in prison, including 18 years on Robben Island. He was imprisoned on Robben Island on June 13, 1964, and was released on February 11, 1990.<\/p>\n

Freedom Day, as it is known in South Africa, is celebrated annually to commemorate the country’s transition to democracy and to recognize the struggles and sacrifices made by those who fought against apartheid. It is a public holiday in South Africa and is marked by various ceremonies, cultural events, and celebrations across the country.<\/p>\n

This publication, honours the Freedom Day in South Africa [18]<\/a>and traces the social rise and functional evolution of South Africa, post 1994. While Madiba is famous globally, it is also relevant to review the other stalwarts of anti-apartheid resistance and list further quotes of Carmichael, in this context, highlighting some parallels between the suffering of the African Americans and the Blacks in South Africa, at the time. Stokely Carmichael, also known as Kwame Ture, was a prominent civil rights activist in the United States during the 1960s. He was born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1941 and moved to the United States in 1952. Carmichael became involved in civil rights activism while attending Howard University in Washington, D.C., and became a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1966.<\/p>\n

Carmichael is perhaps best known for coining the phrase “Black Power,” which became a rallying cry for many Black Americans during the civil rights movement. He believed that Black people should reject the idea of assimilating into White American culture and instead celebrate their own cultural identity and work towards building their own political and economic power. His other quotes, relevant to countries wherever there is human discrimination are listed as[19]<\/a>:<\/p>\n