In his article published in the Mail & Guardian of 1 September 2006, the acclaimed writer Professor Njabulo Ndebele suggests that we should probably consider declaring “2007 as the year of the dog”. Political scientists and great revolutionaries alike, including respected intellectuals have always warned against applying common-sense to understand complex issues. I will for obvious reasons deal with dangers of this scenario later.

It is important therefore that any analysis of a statement or phrase “hit the dog until the owners and/or the handlers come into the open” is understood in context.

 At the risk of becoming a political commentator, it may be important to make reference to the rich history of our struggle against apartheid, how this statement of figurative was used to describe those who were seen as puppets, collaborators and/or impimpi.

 In the period mid up to late eighties, at the heat of mass internal resistance in the country, young people responding to a clarion call by the then President of the ANC, Cde OR Tambo, to make the apartheid system unworkable, there were two notorious and most dubious characters in the Western Cape, in the areas called Crossroads and KTC.

These two gentlemen were known as Hhoza and Ngxobongwana. At that time, Crossroads was the hive of political activity and a political base for ANC activists in the Western Cape, who fought until the last weaponry, defending the killing of innocent people by apartheid “special force” called the “Witdoekers” and against forced removals. The two gentlemen that I refer to above collaborated with the enemy force and therefore became the de facto representatives of the repressive regime.

 In a true bantustan style, with the approbation of the apartheid regime, these two gentlemen acted as “osibonda” (headmen), and accorded themselves wisdom of being the “true” representatives of the people. The struggle to defeat apartheid became difficult if not impossible without first, defeating collaborators and puppets of the regime who worked tirelessly to undermine the unity of the people in a struggle against injustice. The phrase or shall I say figurative “hit the dog until the owner or handler comes to the open” became more relevant. The animal dog in known for its protectiveness, loyalty and courage, and sometimes if it is let loose, unchained it can be a serious threat and danger to the free movement of the people.

Masses of our people who always acted with diligence and determination to defeat apartheid, never took this phrase in its literal sense. Imagine if people had taken this phrase in its literal sense, there could have been a mass brutal slaughter and murder of dogs, and indeed if our struggle, in the literal sense of this phrase was about hitting dogs, the objectives of the struggle to defeat apartheid could have long been achieved, in fact if the dog was the oppressor, we could have achieved freedom in 1912.

 It is rather bizarre, that Prof Njabulo Ndebele as a an academic simply chose to apply common-sense and analyse this phrase in its literal meaning without proper political context. This line of reasoning can very catastrophic, and is mischievous at best and myopic at worst.

 Imagine the Prof, being a lecturer at one of the country’s respected institutions of higher learning, he discovers that his students are not performing as expected. Imagine him coming back to his class to report and express his disappointment, at same time give advice to the students in order to improve their performance. Have a picture of him standing in front of his class saying, “students, you must pull-up your socks”. Imagine students taking this phrase in its literal sense, all students going down their knees to pull up their socks. Obviously, the honourable, Prof would be using this phrase to communicate with his students rather figuratively using an idiom to motivate the students to do better.

 During the recent “remarkable event” (rape trial of the ANC Deputy President) which  Professor Njabulo Ndebele so intimately refers to in his article, based on our political examination and analysis of the case itself, and how a certain group of individuals, have sought to influence the public, through a parallel “court” of public opinion. This pseudo-court had pre-determined the outcomes of the rape trial and sought to influence the outcome of the judicial independent court.  In terms of the South African supreme law (the constitution) innocence is conferred. Hence all people are “presumed innocent until proven otherwise” by a independent competent court of law, in other words, only a court with a judge can make a proper determination whether the suspect in a case is Guilty or Not. Everything was done and said in pursuit of this pre-determined outcome, to find the accused in that case guilty by all means necessary.

In the list of people and individuals, who carried the objectives of this agenda with unsurpassed dedication, included some academics, the most enlightened of our society that we hold in high esteem and respect their wisdom so dearly. Professor and Ndebele also commented about this case and added his voice to the “court” of public opinion, which by its very nature and conduct, undermined the rule of law , and violated the rights of the accused as contained in the constitution, the supreme law, and further elaborated in the Criminal Procedure Act of (1977) which regulates  proceedings in the criminal case.

I agree with Professor Ndebele when he says “our democracy is about dialogue, about expressing informed opinions, about expressing genuine outrage, about changing one’s mind in the light of better argument, about accepting the joys of victories and pain of defeat, about the rule of law, about the difference between right and wrong, about orderly, efficient and caring government, and about the quest for beauty of intelligence, creativity, hope, kindness, cooperation, friendliness, trust, conviction, respect and courtesy in our living environment

Our analysis based on this experience, it was succinctly that these individuals, coupled by a conduct of some organs of state , there were not acting  "independently". There were prepared to compromise and undermine their  credibility’s and their mandates in pursuit of a narrow factional pre-determined outcome.

 When I addressed the crowds of the people that had gathered outside the court, to demonstrate their solidarity with the ANC Deputy President, guided by the noble principle of our supreme law “innocent until proven otherwise”, I used this phrase “hit the dog until the owner or handler comes to the open” figuratively which best captured our observations and the call to defend our fragile democracy.

 These people who had come to demonstrate their solidarity with their leader, never took what I said in its literal sense, despite majority of them not having a formal education. There was no mass slaughter and murder of dogs reported as a consequences of actions carried in pursuit of my statement. Although, even animal rights organisations were organised to charge me of “incitement and hate speech”, in order to silence and intimidate those who were vocal enough to opposed and expose the monstrous and outlandish agenda.

 It is eerie to imagine how the Hounorable, Professor Njabulo Ndebele, a Vice Chancellor of the institution of Higher Learning, could not have avoided as the most enlightened of our society, a clearly defined political agenda, of undermining the rule of law for political expediency.

The controversies which marked that “remarkable event”, reminded me of Hhoza and Ngxobongwana during the late eighties and the role of “Witdoekers” in the Western Cape.

One cold morning in Johannesburg during this “remarkable event”, on my way to the court, I walked passed masses of people who had gathered to demonstrate their solidarity with the ANC Deputy President very early outside court, they sang Tiyo Soga’s song “Lizalis’idinga lakho, Thixo Nkosi Yenyaniso”(Fulfill Thy Promise God, Thou Lord of  Truth).  Our struggle to defeat apartheid was a struggle for justice, human rights and dignity. They sang this hymn in dignity with disbelief, that twelve years into our new democratic dispensation, we could still have one of our own being treated with humiliations and deprecations, hence they asked for divine intervention in prayer’s, and they asked for the Truth.

The acclaimed writer, Professor Njabulo Ndebele makes an important confession, that he does not have an owner or a handler.

Coincidentally, he makes a proclamation that we should perhaps consider declaring “2007, the year of the dog, so that a man’s best friend should become national symbol for the humanity of South Africa”. The vexed question we must ask, to the extent that the Professor acted "independently" as he alleges, why did he get involve in an orchestra as an accomplice, designed to violate human rights, abase and denigration?

Whatever the answers are, we have got a reason to be worried, when the most enlightened and educated (izifundiswa), who should act as repository and bulwark of our democracy without fear or favor, participate in fictitious activities that undermine the very same pillars of a constitutional state. Professor Njabulo Ndebele is not an ordinary academic, a junior lecturer and/or a tutor, he is the Vice-Chancellor of an institution of Higher Learning(University), a microcosm of society.  We should be more worried because as the principal, the entire university community, and students in particular look up to him for leadership, guidance and inspiration.

Whilst I think they are important lessons to be learnt from his analysis, I disagree with his proclamation. What has become evident with a bit of savoir –faire, and how things have unfolded thus far, they are people who understand the rule of law, its interpretation and application selectively. Whoever the handler of this agenda is, please come to the open for the sake of our democracy, our country and the nation. Until then, we must "hit the dogs until the owner and the handler in its proper context, come to the open". Hence we should declare “2007, the year of the Handler”.

Until then, the struggle for justice, human rights and dignity continues.

Zizi Kodwa is the a member of the National Executive Committee/National Working Committee of the ANCYL.  He is also the ANCYL spokesperson and its Head of Communications. This article first appeared in the ANC Youth League online publication Hlomelang