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5 September 2008

The passing away of Dr Oscar Dhlomo casts a big shadow over the province of KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa.

A true son of this province, Dr Dhlomo was an educationist, distinguished academic, a man of culture and an enterprising businessman.

Even while lecturing at the University of Zululand in the 1970s, he was not a silent intellectual. He attracted attention through his writings on the burning issues of the day with the problems of education claiming more of his thought-provoking attention. He was later to serve as political head of the Department of Education in the erstwhile KwaZulu government.

But the terrible blot of African fighting against another African began to demand more and more of his focus. Even while the African National Congress (ANC) was banned, he was one who led the Inkata Freedom Party (IFP) delegation to talks with the United Democratic Front (UDF) and Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). Those bilaterals finally proposed a summit of President OR Tambo of the ANC, the President of the IFP Dr M Buthelezi, President of COSATU Mr Elijah Barayi and the President of the UDF Mr Archie Gumede. These were set for September 1989. Intervening problems delayed the process. But the institutional framework for resolving the ANC-IFP conflict had been established.

Since then tremendous work has been done to lead us where we are today. More remains to be done. But Dr Dhlomo can rest with the satisfaction that he did what needed to be done and the path the ANC and IFP set during his time was correct and there is no alternative to it.

But our liberation is more than one person, one vote, one value.

The attendant question - where are Africans located in the economy of KwaZulu-Natal still has to asked and answered with a degree of urgency. Dr Dhlomo's own pioneering role has been admirable. When he met boards of directors and those who own the wealth of our country, he did not only ask why there were hardly any Africans here; he asked why not? This still remains a vexing question on our road to a normalised South Africa and normalised KwaZulu-Natal. He became a trailblazer even in this regard.

To Mrs Dhlomo and the entire Dhlomo family, please accept our deepest condolences and our gratitude to you and the family for allowing us to share Dr Dhlomo with you.

And to you Dr Oscar Dhlomo, as the government of KwaZulu-Natal, we say it was great to share the same decades with you.

Enquiries:
Logan Maistry
Cell: 083 644 4050
E-mail: maistryl@premier.kzntl.gov.za

Issued by: Office of the Premier KwaZulu-Natal, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
5 September 2008
Source: SAPA