THE METHODIST CHURCH OF SOUTHERN AFRICA
CONNEXIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE:03 July 2012
DARE TO DREAM
We have descended to East London from various countries of our
Connexion. Allow me to say a word of gratitude to district
coordinators for thinking out of the box. It has been a tradition of this
august movement to elect one of them to lead Connexionaly. Our
watershed conference in Botswana had delegates who were
determined and steadfast on their electoral preferences but let me
commend their discipline and respect. We are all sons and daughters
of Wesley; a united movement which shall differ at times because of
being spoilt by choices. Let me thank you for entrusting me with this
responsibility. I am well aware that I am the first amongst the equals
in this collective leadership.
Let me pay my respect to our predecessors who have led this gigantic
movement to greater heights. I joined this movement during the time
of Rev Lindsay Hayward, followed by Rev Themba Mntambo who led
during the time of political transition, Rev Moses whose thoughts on
the Youth Unit as a business enterprise still echoes in my ears, Rev
Moagi Sikhejane, brother Sizwe Ngwendu and sister Zoleka Maki who
have steered this ship through murky waters and we shall continue
to be indebted to them. I must commend Rev Sikhejane for the job he
did in leading all of us including me, my leader, my commander I
salute you.
When we take an aerial world overview we see the fall of the mighty
European markets and the loss of capitalistic invincibility have
reduced countries like Greece to basket cases, Spain, Portugal and
Italy will most likely follow sooner rather than later. We see the
imperialist forces being on an overdrive in being opportunistic in
people’s revolution across Middle East and Africa dubbed ‘the Arab
Spring Uprisings’.
We have seen once more the African Union being reduced to an
appendage by Nato Forces in Lybia and in Ivory Coast in the removal
of Gaddaffi and Laurent Gagbo respectively.
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Unfortunately in Africa today, we are led by a crop of leaders who are
easily bullied and pushed aside by the West and have very little to
offer even in their respective countries.
We have lost a strategic voice in Africa, a voice that not only put this
continent of ours in its rightful place in World politics but also firmly
and correctly proclaimed that this is an African Century.
Adam Smith on the Theory of Moral Sentiments says about the
leaders we have today “they are the most frivolous and superficial of
mankind only those who can be much delighted with that praise
which they themselves know to be altogether unmerited”. Our
leaders in Africa today, leave exactly according to these sentiments
expressed above. They are consumed and concerned by amassing
power for themselves and their families rather than to push forward
with the noble agenda of developing the lives of the African child.
Sadly, our country South Africa is not immune to this unfortunate
phenomenon. Coming out of being respected world-wide since 1994,
with the world’s revered state’s man Nelson Mandela, at the helm,
driving reconciliation in the midst of adversity and cynicism by
many; we soon became symbol of hope and admiration in the World.
Our second President, whilst consolidating Madiba’s reconciliation
legacy, changed gear and pushed hard without any apologies, a
programme of restoring what Africa as a continent deserved,
popularly known as African Renaissance. Parallel to that programme,
President Mbeki stretched our country, its resources and its people
to dream big, to believe in itself and restored dignity and respect to
its people. At the World stage we were at the main table, whether it
is G8 or G20 we could not be ignored anymore. In Africa, the
principle of “African problem being solved by Africans themselves”
was not only acknowledged but actually practiced.
Today, we have become a country that celebrates mediocre through
and through; we ululate and pat ourselves with misleading matric
(grade 12) results every year that are shameful, with people like Prof
Jansen of University of Free State saying they will not accept grade 12
learners despite their pass results. The same goes with reshuffling
Cabinet three times within a space of three years; it only gives an
impression on uncertainty, lack of clarity of purpose and feeds in well
with the stereo type of “it can only happen in Africa”.
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From a social front, the world applauded us, correctly so, for hosting
the 2010 Soccer World Cup so successfully, but with Bafana Bafana
exiting so early on in the tournament, did we really need to celebrate
simply because we beat France and yet we hold a dubious title of
being the first hosts to exit in the first round? In the very recent past,
the country almost came to a standstill over an offensive painting by
an artist. Should we not have the likes of Brett Murray expressing in
Art the best this country can offer and not the First Citizen’s genitals?
Where have we lost the plot?
I am a reminded of the Titanic whilst it was about to sink some
people were playing with ice from the iceberg being ignorant of their
fate. I think that would be the worst state of affairs, where things
would go wrong and we keep quiet. Even more horrifying would be a
situation where if we speak out on how we see things in our country,
wrath would come down upon us like a ton of bricks, as it happened
recently to Dr. Ruel Khoza who in my view, correctly identified that
“we are led by a strange breed of leadership whose interests is in
power” and he was declared a persona non grata.
Having said all of the above, we must congratulate the African
National Congress (ANC) led by the kind and affable person,
President Zuma, the oldest liberation movement in Africa on its
Centenary Celebrations. Over the years, this movement has produced
extra-ordinary leadership, men and women of such substance that it
is no accident of history that the ANC is still here today, leading this
country of ours.
As our Presiding Bishop, the Rev Siwa said in his sermon in
Bloemfontein during the very first Centenary celebrations this year
2012, that the bones of the forefathers of the ANC did not only
contribute to its unity to-date but must be a springboard from which
to chat the way forward for the next hundred years of this great
movement. I would sincerely encourage the young people to read the
Kairos Document which does an in-depth analysis of the 100 years of
ANC.
In our context as the family of Wesleyans we must also congratulate
the YMG on its Centenary. We dare not forget Rev Charles Phamla,
Rev Gideon Bhaqwa and Rev Bernard Mabona who were the pioneers
of Amadodana.
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If the Presiding bishop was here we would remind him that our
prophetic voice has been mute. We must articulate without fear or
favor as the voice of the voiceless, speaking truth to power at all
times.
Yes it is easier said than done because power does not take kindly in
being rebuked or reprimanded. Bishop Don Camara of the Latin
Americas knows about this when he says, “when I give food to the
poor they call me a saint but when I ask why the poor don’t have food
they call me a communist”.
Methodist conference will be held in Swaziland this year where King
Mswati has his priorities as I, me and myself, yet his people go to bed
hungry and has one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rate in the
world. The question we should ask ourselves is, what is our
contribution to the lives of the people of Swaziland? As a church,
whose members suffer the indignity of hunger, poverty and
unemployment in that country, should we keep quiet and look away
whilst the situation deteriorates further?
Remember the words of prophet Jeremiah in the book of
Lamentations 1: 12 “ is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look
around and see. Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted
on me…..” Are we afraid to be kicked out of Swaziland that we cannot
engage the King about his life of opulence as the Methodist church?
In a similar vein, we must congratulate the people of Lesotho for the
successful and peaceful election they had recently.
We welcome our delegation from Mozambique to this Connexional
Youth Conference, without you, this family is incomplete (ingwamino,
ingwarasang).
We are meeting in the Eastern Cape a province which prides itself on
leadership and education because it has produced the best of people
like John Tengo Jabavu, A.C. Jordan, Tiyo Soga, S.E.K. Mqhayi, O.R
Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Steve Biko, Robert Sobukhwe, W.B. Rubusana,
Enoch Sontonga who composed Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, and many
others. Many of us do not know that this anthem was first sung at a
Methodist ordination service of Rev Boweni in 1899.
It is ironic that today when you speak about this province two things
come to our minds poverty and poor education standards.
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We need to remind people at Bhisho that this province was the cradle
to produce intellectuals of this continent at University of Fort Hare,
Lovedale and Healdtown.
Why Dare to Dream
Dare to Dream is clarion call for all of us as young people to dream
and relive our dreams once more. If you cannot dream, you are dead
alive and only waiting to be certified so.
When Martin Luther King Junior proclaimed, “I Have a Dream”, it was
in the midst of death of black youth and subjugation but that could
not stop him from dreaming of a better America. They sang in unison
‘we shall overcome’.
When Nelson Mandela went into Robben Island for 27 years he
cherished a dream that one day this country shall be free from
apartheid and we are. We sang, senzeni na, senzeni na?
Barack Obama believed in the American Dream that all citizens of
that country can aspire to be whatever they wish even to be a
president. Indeed some of us thought its April fools day when he
stood up and declared himself a candidate, today he is the first black
president of America.
Therefore I say to you, dare to dream.
When we say ‘Dare to Dream’ we are reminding young people to be
dreamers of a better world than they find it. The gap between reality
and expectation brings disillusionment and disappointment yet we
cannot stop dreaming because we believe our dreams are possible.
Sometimes disillusionment is brought by the fact that we do not own
our dreams or we rent them from other people.
Dare to Dream means to stop the dependence syndrome, spirit of
entitlement from government, and allow ourselves to explore our
own abilities. For how long shall we wait for others to pay for our
dreams? Yes a dream is free but the journey to fulfillment is costly, so
are we prepared to loose a limb and risk everything to realize our
dreams.
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Biblically dreams come to declare God’s intentions about us. As we
have learnt from Joseph in the book of Genesis, dreams can be
dangerous, they can breed enemies and hatred even in a family , and
his brothers said “here is that dreamer”. Joseph teaches us that
dreams can make others to be jealous, deceitful, envious and betrayal
but if those dreams are coming from God they shall come to pass.
Dreams are powerful too, they contradict the misery and poverty of
today and inspire us to look forward to a better future. Joseph’s life
did not end in a pit, or as a slave but a prime minister in Egypt.
Dreams make us uncomfortable and warn us like it did to Pilate
through his wife about Jesus on Matt. 27:19 “when he was set down
on the judgement seat, his wife sent him, saying. Have nothing to do
with that just man; for I have suffered many things this day in a
dream, because of him”. So it is up to us to heed such warnings.
The book of Numbers 12:6 says, when a prophet of the Lord is among
you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams”. Our
hope is when we live this conference we shall be the prophets whom
God shall reveal his visions and speak to us in dreams which we shall
interpret them correctly being led by the Holy Spirit. British SAS
segment has a motto “who dares wins`’, surely the opposite of this
motto reins true, who does not looses.
God is speaking, dare to dream.
As young people let me be at liberty to remind you of the three
apples that changed the world, Adam and Eve’s apple, Newton’s
apple and late Steve Jobs’ apple. Addressing students at Stanford
University, Steve Jobs said, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish”. Steve is the
man who introduced the expensive and sophisticated apple mac
laptop and i-pads. So I urge all of us to Stay Hungry and Stay Foolish
in daring for our dreams. Apple Company was started in a garage at
Steve’s parents house when he was 20 and it grew to be what it is
today because he was Hungry and Foolish. Steve had a dream in his
bed and he woke up, acted on it.
Dare to dream young people, dare to dream
Young people Connexional Youth Conference as a decision-making
body and policy formulation and adoption has to be jealously
guarded however we must resuscitate the Connexional Youth
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Executive for operational matters and strategic sessions. This will
create synergy between the executive and districts. We cannot
continue to work in silos as this is a unitary movement. Also our
predecessors made us aware that our decision making process is too
long, tardy and cumbersome and that is why we are big on dreams
and small or nothing to show on implementation of our programme
of action.
As a collective we have designed an M-Plan with 5 Points that shall
direct and measure ourselves against for the next three years. We
will not re-invent the wheel as such, as we have had time to engage
our predecessors on their past dreams for this glorious movement.
History students remind us that an M-Plan is named after George
Marshall who was tasked to come up with a plan for Economic
Recovery after the 1st World War. Also Nelson Mandela in the early
1950’s was tasked to devise an M-Plan for the formation of
underground network and mobilization of masses.
We are here to present our dream called the Mission-Plan that shall
liberate the mind of a black youth in particular to prosper, help a
white youth to feel at home as we believe in a “one and undivided
church”, infuse a spirituality to worship God according to the dictates
of our own consciences.
Here is our Mission-Plan with humility: Methodist Youth Unit Investment Company
 Enhancing our Image and Visibility
 Mission and Spirituality
 Youth Development and Leadership Training
 Capacitation of our Office
YOUTH UNIT INVESTMENT COMPANY
Youth Unit lives from hand to mouth with our finances being
dependent on assessments and MCO determining how much we get
every year. We are dependent on Western Donors too yet that is
unsustainable and we should remember that “he who pays the piper
calls the tune”. Today as we meet in East London let us resolve that
by 2014 we will launch our Investment Company.
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We have people with passion, skill and knowledge on how to form
this company already and all that we need from this Conference is to
affirm such a position.
This investment company shall have independent board of directors
and they will report both to CYC and the MCSA Conference.
This investment will assist in funding the Youth Economic
Empowerment programme and all other sustainable projects in our
districts as the Global Ministries donation will not be there forever, in
fact it’s insufficient even now.
We will have a data of business people in the Methodist Church and
other high-income earners who shall contribute towards this
company, but we need maximum cooperation of district coordinators
and all young people in this regard. We shall continue to work with
other organs that are advancing economic empowerment without
fear of contradiction; it is indeed a time for “economic freedom in our
lifetime” and a second phase in one continuous transition and not a
second transition as some idiots would want us to believe.
Enhancing our Visibility and Image
Branding and Marketing of this Unit with all of its entities is vital for
our continued existence. Our Official website will be updated
frequently; official Facebook and twitter pages will be introduced.
Discipline and respect too goes a long way in how we conduct
ourselves in these social networks.
We will strive for an effective communication between the
connexional office and district offices. Accountability to each other
cannot be stressed enough especially to coordinators. Being a
coordinator should be a specialty and not a norm. We must
congratulate and welcome our new district coordinators.
We are exploring a magazine for this unit which shall be circulated
quarterly in its infancy then later on it will be evaluated to look at
whether it can go commercial.
I urge all of us, dare to dream.
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Mission and Spirituality
A church is missionary in its outlook and operation, as a youth
department in the church our contribution to mission work cannot
be ignored.
We shall continue to participate in HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse
programmes through Mission Unit as it is their mandate through
Conference to run them.
People that we appoint to represent us in these programmes
sometimes are not up to the challenge and as such the Mission Unit
looses patience in our partnership and that causes embarrassment to
this Unit.
Fellow young people of my church we need to take education
seriously. We cannot continue to be armchair critics of government
without doing anything ourselves. Whenever we criticize we need to
provide alternative view that is the strength of constructive criticism.
Those of us who remember the 1976 uprisings will recollect in our
minds that they were led by a Wesley Guild chairperson of Jabavu
society in Soweto named Tsietsi Mashinini. His mantra/motto was
“the people first and then and only then me”.
We should not allow his name to be pushed to the oblivion by
anyone, as the hunters always tell the story of the hunted and history
being written by the victors.
I urge this conference to launch a Tsietsi Mashinini Mission Fund in
2013 which will solely deal wit education matters.
I must stress that this Fund is not envisaged as a bursary fund but
rather a meaningful contribution towards bigger education projects
in the country. We need to sharpen our ideas on where we would like
to focus as Education matters are huge in the Connexion; we need to
strengthen ideas like getting temporary structures for mud/tree
schools, making sure that our Methodist schools or former are having
libraries with relevant books, donation of computers and even having
winter schools where we can, and many more.
A think-tank of people who are passionate about education will
consolidate these ideas . Districts we propose that they contribute a
minimum of R5000 on its launch in 2013 and R2000 annually
through their own mission funds and our target for the launch is
R100,000 only. Together, we can, dare to dream.
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After this conference we will search for people who will be patrons
and also raise funds for this education fund. These patrons will run a
campaign asking people to donate a once off, one per cent of our
monthly salary. Young people amongst us who work would be
encouraged to be the first ones to contribute to such a Fund, we have
to lead by example and own this initiative. Outsiders turn to support
a moving vehicle and so we must give life to this initiative ourselves
first.
As Nelson Mandela said, “it is through education that the daughter of
peasant can become a doctor, a son of mineworker can become the
head of a mine, that a child of a farmer can become a president”. We
as the Methodist Youth must be the vehicle to give education to an
African child.
Identifying Spirituality as a core component of our M-Plan has led us
to form a partnership with Sedibeng which runs Contemplative
Spirituality Programme led by Rev Sidwell Mokgothu.
We shall continue to assist our young people spiritually to help them
make informed decisions and right choices in delicate matters of life
maybe that will decrease the level of young people committing
suicide. John Wesley says “a theology of a transformed heart leads to
a transformed life”, therefore these spirituality programmes will help
us break away from a culture whose ways discombobulate the
essence of our being, into a transformed life.
We do not belong to a culture of sushi eating from bodies’ of young
women, self-aggrandizement and spitting on the face of poor people,
that is not us.
We need to develop a spirituality that is grounded and practical,
which moves from praxis to ortho-praxis as St Maximus the
Confessor would tell us that, “a theology without action is the
theology of demons”.
Youth Development and Leadership Training
It was in 2008, at Nongoma, when King Goodwill Zwelithini triggered
my mind on how little we know and take for granted the role the
Methodist Church played in the fight against apartheid and during
the incarceration of his grandfather king Dinizulu.
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The Centenary celebrations in Mangaung by the ANC of the breaking
of umbilical cord in 1912 was at the Wesleyan church as we were
known back then and the devotions were done by a prominent
Methodist minister called Dr. E.J. Mqoboli, also highlighted strongly
that we were not spectators but role players in the struggle.
Lest we forget about our Methodist people who dared to dream of
liberation and freedom whilst it was unthinkable and risked even
their own lives.
Let us resolve at this conference to honour their memories and their
lives through reflections and lectures that will take place in four
regions of our connexion in the coming three years, in Gauteng, Free
State, kwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.
We shall explore leadership values that were espoused by people of
Wesleyan roots irrespective of political affilliation like Z.R.
Mahabane, Sefako Makgatho, Mangena Mokone, Charlotte Maxeke,
AB Xuma, James Moroka, Father Maphikela, Khoza Mgojo, Simon
Gqubule, Ernest Baartman, Stanely Mogoba, Andrew Losaba, Josiah
Gumede, Albert Luthuli, Peter Storey, Nelson Mandela, Alex Boraine,
Robert Sobukhwe , Virginia Gcabashe and many other unsung heroes
who belonged to this Wesleyan family.
These will not be just symposiums and lectures but also trainings on
leadership and skills transfer as they will be conducted by prominent
Africans.
Capacitating our Office
We need to capacitate our office so that it reflects the seriousness
that we take the youth business in our Church; surely we can’t afford
to run our affairs like a spaza shop.
We do have the space at Methodist House but we need to continue
lobbying the church for human and capital resources to run that
office as we hold them accountable to a youth and child friendly
church as Mission Congress 2004 in Mthatha resolved.
I believe the Investment Company will go a long way to assist us to
fund the running of the office. We strongly propose that we develop a
data of our membership which will help to know our numerical
strength and also every young person to contribute R10,00
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(umrhumo) yearly towards the establishment of the Investment
Company and operations of our office for the next three years and
evaluated after.
We shall strive to treat all entities equally and also recognize their
strengths and weaknesses.
We shall continue with the integration programme of both black and
white however we shall not continue one sided as it perpetuates a
master and slave relationship.
God has created all of us in his image and we need to emphasise our
similarities instead of being xenophobic and tribalistic.
The secretary general will deal with integration from his office.
Children’s Ministry
Children’s ministry lays a foundation in our Christian life; let us
continue to support strongly its initiatives.
More of our young people need to be involved in this ministry.
We shall continue to hold Indabas but they should not be at the
expense of producing a Curriculum as they will turn into expensive
social gatherings instead of empowerment and skills development of
practitioners.
Failure to draw up a Curriculum within time is not an option as we
don’t have such a luxury.
Let me draw the attention of this Conference to the confusion that
maybe caused by the establishment of a Child Desk outside the Youth
Unit.
I am not sure whether it’s a pointer towards Children’s Ministry
exiting this Unit to Mission Unit.
If the MCSA had resources for such a desk it would have been more
appropriate to have it here to capacitate even pupils and educators.
We have seen many atrocities happening on children –rapes,
murders, abuses mostly at the hands of relatives and community.
Ngugi Wa Thiong’o cautions us on his book called Moving the Center:
The Struggle for Cultural Freedoms, he says, “if you want to maim the
future of any society, you simply maim the children”. Let us not be
part of a generation that maims children but be counted amongst
those who gave them a platform to prosper.
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Methssoc
Methssoc continues to be a strategic entity if we utilize them
properly and it’s able to carve its niche within the Unit.
Methssoc needs to stop having the under siege mentality in seeing
enemies everywhere and be proactive in making its contributions in
this movement.
On the same breath this Unit needs to stop treating Methssoc like
problem child because its existence lies within this Unit. Methssoc
represents a bright future if nurtured correctly, the onus is in all of
us.
Boys and Girls Brigades and other youth formations
All other formations, boys and girls brigade this is their Home. They
are not second-class citizens in this movement and we need to
emphasise that. We need to find a way to communicate better so that
we get informed on time at connexional and district level about their
camps and other initiatives.
We need to defeat this separatist attitude from all of us. Our strength
is in our diversity.
Wesley Guilds
Wesley guild is the strongest in our Unit however it is a sleeping
giant.
Wesley Guild remember that an army of sheep led by a lion is better
than an army of lions led by a sheep.
I am pleased to announce that our first Connexional Wesley Guild
Convention will be held at Natal West in April 2013.
At this Convention the Youth Unit shall launch the establishment of
the Tsietsi Mashinini Mission Fund. There shall be three floating
trophies for winners, 2nd position and 3rd position.
Once more, dare to dream.
It is sad to note that some of our conventions, consultation and
camps are no more a place to nurture, revive and develop a young
person holistically but are associated with alcohol and all sorts of illbehavior. That is totally unacceptable I must stress that. I know that
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majority of this great entity behaves very well but these few bad
people need to be redeemed before they destroy the name and image
of the Wesley Guild.
I hope during this term we shall not debate whether Wesley Guild
stays in the Unit, because that’s a very stale, old and tired debate that
many CYC’s have pronounced on.
In Conclusion let us all remember the words of Nelson Mandela in his
inaugural speech as president in 1994: he said:“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our Light, not our Darkness that frightens us most.
We ask ourselves who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and
famous? Actually I ask, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won’t
feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us, it’s in all of us.
And when we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people
permission to do same”.
Let me echo these words of Madiba by saying>
Yes we are powerful beyond measure when we dare to dream!
Indeed we are brilliant, we are gorgeous, we are talented and we are
famous only when we dare to dream
I challenge you to live your dream
It doesn’t matter where you come from, you have a dream
No matter what circumstances surround your life, dare to dream!
They said you are stupid, you are ugly, you are nothing and inferior
and you believed.
Let me tell you this, you are brilliant, you are gorgeous, you are
talented and you are famous, dare to dream.
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They said, you are an ant and you believed, actually you are an
elephant
They said you are a slave and you believed, actually you are a King
They said you are a grasshopper and you believed, actually you are a
giant.
They said you are useless, hopeless and you believed
Let me tell you this, you are brilliant, you are gorgeous, you are
talented and special
Dare to dream, dare to dream, dare to dream!
God bless you,
Shalom
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