President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is to be awarded the Freedom of Makana Award following a recent Special Council meeting where 17 ANC councillors voted for this motion and four Democratic Alliance (DA) councillors voted against it.
President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is to be awarded the Freedom of Makana Award following a recent Special Council meeting where 17 ANC councillors voted for this motion and four Democratic Alliance (DA) councillors voted against it.
Makana Executive Mayor Vumile Lwana indicated at an Ordinary Council Meeting in September that he intended submitting a motion to award the Freedom of Makana to Zuma. In a notice of motion, Lwana described Zuma as having displayed outstanding leadership and stewardship by committing his life to the freedom of his people and that he continues to contribute in improving people's quality of life.
He added that after Zuma was imprisoned on Robben Island for a considerable time, he left the country of his birth to continue his quest for liberation of his people outside South Africa. After 1994, he served under different structures and portfolios of Government until he became President in 2009.
He further motivated that, "The President has demonstrated outstanding leadership during the hosting of a successful 2010 World Cup and I submit that his commendable contribution receives recognition from Council." According to the report for this item, the notion of Freedom of the City is a historic and traditional occurrence in government structures, especially in municipalities all over the world.
"In South Africa, it dates back to the pre-democratisation era of 1994." The report further read that the "award is bestowed on local or foreign citizens for outstanding performance in any chosen field; contributing to the improvement of the quality of life of other people, local or abroad; and outstanding leadership and stewardship."
According to the report, it is expected that substantial costs would be incurred in hosting a formal ceremony to bestow the award on Zuma. "The budget from the Mayor, would be used for that purpose."
DA Councillor Michael Whisson voted against this request for reasons that Zuma has no special links to Grahamstown, saying that his personal history is not one which we can hold up for the youth to emulate and the costs of hosting the ceremony are inappropriate based on the municipality's financial status and the backlog of service delivery.
ANC Councillor Ntsikelelo Stamper approved the request and said, "I was not surprised by Councillor Whisson's statement, but we are not looking at personalities here, but the fact that he is President." This was seconded by ANC Councillor Boniwe Bonani.
Lwana responded to Whisson's submission regarding the cost factor by saying that the costs are currently not known. Lwana said that the request has nothing to do with Zuma's relationship with Makana. He added that Whisson must not distort his submission with side issues and create impressions to the public.
"The relationship with government, especially the presidency would turn many woes of this municipality, which is why the municipality should move in that direction" he said. DA Councillor Lena May said they were merely concerned about service delivery and this was not about the ANC for Zuma and the DA against it. A vote was then taken where the request was approved.
The first person to receive the Freedom of the City was reportedly Grahamstown born Josephine Ethel (Josie) Wood. She was one of the six children of the first mayor of Grahamstown. A trained teacher, she dedicated her life to the community. She was active in the Child Welfare Society and nursed invalids in her own home.
She also worked among the blind by taking over from a missionary from England, Eleanor Comber who combated the high level of illiteracy by teaching Braille. Wood stored a small number of Braille volumes in her home for people who were interested in borrowing the books to read and this grew into the South African Library for the Blind which was founded in 1918.
According to Makana Municipality Spokesperson Thandy Matebese, since 1994 the Freedom of the City has only been bestowed once on former President Nelson Mandela in 1996.
