Museveni is ruling Ugandans with Apartheid laws
By Sam Akaki
14th Feb 2011
I am attending an international conference in Soweto-South Africa about “Legalized Political Oppression in Africa”. With deep respect for the millions of black South Africans who perished under the diabolical Apartheid system, I can say without fear of contradiction that both symbolically and in reality, Museveni is leading an Apartheid regime in disguise. Just consider the following Apartheid laws and their striking similarities to the prevailing situation in Uganda.
The law regarding the voter’s register
In 1951, the Apartheid regime introduced the ‘Separate Representation of Voters Act’. This law removed blacks and coloured people [who formed 96% of the population] from the voters’ register. Similarly, during the 2006 elections, Museveni’s Electoral Commission unilaterally deleted names of millions of opposition supporters from the voter’s register. Do not ask me to substantiate this statement. Ask the Commonwealth Election Observers who declared in their 2006 report under sub-title: The mass removal of names from the registers.
“…We were present at one polling station where two hundred names had been removed by the Electoral Commission after the display period…Another international observer group identified further polling stations at which even greater number of names had been removed. Our observers saw for themselves that the people affected were deeply concerned when they arrived on polling day and found that they were no longer registered at that particular polling station”, the report said
Read the report for yourself using this link below. http://www.thecommonwealth.org/shared_asp_files/uploadedfiles/A73BC2F6-CF22-41C0-8310-45D92160EC5C_UGANDAPRESIDENTIALANDPARLIAMENTARYELECTIONS2006REPORTOFTHECOMMONWEALTHOBSERVERGROUPnew.pdf
As the 2011 elections approach, there is irrefutable information that the Electoral Commission has included four million anonymous voters on the voters’ register who will vote without voter’s cards. Only an Apartheid regime would take such desperate steps to boost its votes!
The law regarding regional tier governments
In 1951, the Apartheid regime introduced the ‘Bantu Authorities Act’, which established black homelands and regional authorities in order to create a false sense of self-governance controlled from Pretoria. In Uganda, Museveni’s rubber-stamp parliament is enacting a law that will create a Regional Tier System of false self governance that will be ruthlessly controlled from the State House.
The law on separate education systems
In 1953, the Apartheid regime introduced the ‘Bantu Education Act’, which enabled the establishment of a curriculum that suited the “nature and requirements of the black people”. The curriculum was designed to provide blacks with skills to serve as House Servants for whites, to work mines, and in other degrading jobs under white supervisors.
In Uganda, Museveni’s regime introduced the so-called Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) to provide sub-standard education for children whose parents are poor rural peasants who constitute 85% of the population. These UPE/USE graduates are proceeding to local Universities from where they get degrees that only qualify them to work as Security Guards, Petrol Station Attendants, Hotel Waiters, etc. Tens of thousands of other graduates are walking in the streets unemployed.
At the same time, children linked to Museveni’s regime are receiving the best education money can buy at home and abroad. Armed with their superior degrees, they are walking from Universities straight into prestigious and well-paying jobs in government and the private sector.
The laws regarding wealth creation for the poor
In 1959, the Apartheid regime introduced the ‘Bantu Investment Corporation Act’, which created financial, commercial, and industrial schemes in areas designated for black people. Under the scheme, black people received token loans to start businesses, targeting their poor communities with next to zero incomes. Many of them failed to repay the loans and were sent to jail!
In Uganda, Museveni first introduced ‘Etandikwa’ and later ‘Bonna Baggagawale [Prosperity of All] programmes to provide loans to poor rural farmers. In the vast majority of cases, Ugandans who participated in Museveni’s wealth-for-all schemes are today saddled with debts and therefore poorer than they had been before.
At the same time, individuals connected to Museveni’s regime are receiving billions of the taxpayers’ money which enables them to dominate local import, export, and construction business on which they pay little or no taxes at all.
The Anti Terrorism law
In 1967, the Apartheid regime introduced The Terrorism Act. This law allowed indefinite detention [without trial] of black human rights activists, and it created the Bureau of State Security (BOSS) which brutalized and murdered black South Africans with impunity.
In 2002, Museveni introduced an Apartheid-style anti terrorism law which defines terrorism as any political, religious, social or economic activities that may lead to violence against a person or serious damage to property. Under the law, the dreaded Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) is authorised to detain and obtain evidence by any means.
Under Apartheid South Africa’s Terrorism Act, BOSS detained and tortured student activist Steve Biko to death. Similarly in Uganda, Jimmy Higenyi, an innocent journalism student, was shot to death. Patrick Mamenero was killed by Museveni’s CMI. Joseph Musasazi Kifefe and other so-called People’s Redemption Army (PRA) suspects were detained without trial until some died in custody and others outside.
The bloody road to freedom
On 16th December 1961, having tried all peaceful means to regain their basic human rights, South African blacks launched Umkhonto we Sizwe; or Spear of the Nation. This was the beginning of a sustained armed struggle that slowly sapped the life out of Apartheid and finally delivered freedom for black South Africans in 1994.
The heart-breaking details of that struggle are today recorded for posterity at the Apartheid Museum. The introductory pamphlet to the Museum reads: “The basic principle behind Apartheid was simple. Apply self-serving laws and cut a clean line through the nation between the privileged minority rulers and the majority poor black people”.
It then concludes: “The Apartheid Museum is a journey and lesson through tragedy and heroism, tyranny, freedom and peace. It is the most important lesson you will ever learn”. I strongly recommend a visit to the Apartheid Museum for anyone involved in the struggle for democracy in Uganda.
Oh, one last point. Apartheid was sustained to some degree by Britain, the US, and European Union. They even classified Nelson Mandela as an international terrorist! Today, the same countries are the critical life-line for Uganda’s Apartheid under General Museveni. Some food for thought there!