BaretaNews Editorial: The Struggle And Politics.
This struggle does not need crying babies. It is meant for the strong spirited and the weak spirited must not be weakened by the strong spirited. In this struggle, we have repeatedly said it is an all for nothing principle and whether home or abroad, we are only divided by oceans, rivers, bridges but we share a common vision of freedom. We need each other badly.
Let us be aware that we will win and fail together. However, failure is not in our agenda. We must not prepare to fight another day. If we fail today, we will fail as Spartans ready to rise up again. It is so sad to see few people chickening out, making disparaging statements on School Resumption with the hope that should school resume, they will put the blame on others and on politics. This is very shameful and babyish. A fighter never back outs no matter what.
The struggle is already political. From the moment we in November 2016, forced the teachers and lawyers to form the Consortium. From the moment the leaders sat amongst themselves and chose a steering committee of the consortium in December 2016. From the moment the Consortium started talking Federation and referendum, the struggle moved from a purely civil society grievances to a political one. This is the sole reason La Republique acted in abducting our people and yes our people both home and abroad understood that it is a political issue because the solutions that Government can give to education and legal can only be sustainable in a change of the present political form of union with La Republique. It is a political struggle and all trappings that comes with it must follow. La Republique started all these, from the moment they arrested our leaders, arrested our people, forced some on exile, the strategy changes and the people put on a different tone. It is sickening for some noise makers to think our people in jail have been abandoned or power has left them. The greatest show of support to our people in jail has come from the diaspora and we continue to do it. The momentum of diaspora protest, writing on Facebook etc for their release might have wane just like ghost towns in some cities home has waned. These are all understandable but we refuse to give up the struggle or giving up on our people in jail. However, the struggle needs to move on as we call for their release. The creation of a interim governing council is more than welcome and should be supported.
Mac Belmond Abakwa in his article yesterday, gave a wonderful paper presentation which gives some historical examples of revolutions in which leaders were elected or adopted to morphed their struggle to another level despite some of their compatriots in jail. You can go to Belmond Facebook and get more insights.
It is utmost necessary that at this point in time, all our energy must be focus on the enemy : getting la Republique off our land. There are things we cannot change as in we must agree that people have different views and ideologies but we must not allow ourselves tear each other apart. It had been concluded that our people have lost an academic year. Despite the political GCE organisation, we know that over 90 percent of our people boycotted and the said few who took the exam we cannot credit it.
Holding School hostage has been our only leverage in getting government to bow because we cannot get to outright war at this moment. Ghost towns were made to bring the other sectors in so that each one feel the taste of the struggle. And we think that doing so and shutting down the schools will get us at the stage where the government will truly speak with us. The moment will be 4th September when we show our resolve once more- the regime will bow finally. The government off course has been bowing though in cosmetic ways. However, none of their decisions have been effected on the ground. Worst still our leaders and people still remained in jail. It is therefore moral that school must not resume unless as a first step to dialogue all our people in jail are released for genuine dialogue to take place. Going back to school now with nothing done is a big failure.
Let people don’t use politics or the setting up of an interim governing council as an excuse why school should resume. This is sheer bad faith. We can’t eat our cake and have it. The government is fighting day in and out for schools to resume. We must turn our energy in counteracting that message while hoping that SCACUF and the interim governing council is doing their best at their own end to change the dynamics. Let’s do ours at our end. Everyone must not join SCACUF but fighting each day to undermine the efforts of SCACUF or any other groups or actions of persons being done to move this struggle ahead makes you more or less the enemy to Southern Cameroons. There are many of us doing so consciously or unconsciously and this MUST STOP.
Some have gone as far as creating groups with different ideologies. Asking members to create fake profiles to attack each other. We have seen this attitude for months now. This is bad politics and must stop also.
In this struggle, fight as if this struggle belongs to you only. Fight as if, if you are not there the struggle will crumble. If we all develop this mindset to fight as if this struggle depends on us alone then collectively we shall see the magic happening. This is my vision. I, Mark Bareta, I take the struggle as if, if I am not there, this struggle will fail. With this in me, I can hold myself to ensure only the best comes out from me. We too can have this even though knowing no one is indispensable.
They say he who puts his hands on the plough and turn to look back is not fit for the kingdom of God.
Let love lead.
#FreeAllArrested #NoToSchoolResumption.
Mark Bareta
BaretaNews CEO.
