CHAPTER EIGHT A WAY FORWARD
5. HOPE AS A KEY ASPECT OF THE WAY FORWARD
an anticipation of great things to happen in their lives don't sit and fold their arms. They interact with their anticipation and plan for the coming of that promise which they had hoped for all those years.
Therefore, this Christian spirituality which is able to "evoke hope and keep it alive in those who despaired," has to make hope to create diligence in the poor and marginalised that they act creatively as they anticipate the fulfilment of the promise. That creative action has to be a critical engagement with their situation. This means that they would have to come up with a critical analysis of their context and a strategic plan to implement their action plan.
Through this alive hope in the hearts and minds of the poor and marginalised, they could skilfully strategise and implement their action plan in a practical way similar to the Future Search workshop I attended. In three days we were able to have an action plan that would change our ministries or businesses for those who were in the business sector.
In these three days we were able to,jirst, scan our environment or situation around us. We did this by putting to ourselves questions like, "What has made us be where we are? Where do we come from? How have we participated in the shaping up ofourselves?" The second stage was to look at some ofour things that we need to keep, drop and create because these are the things that contributed to what we are and have been. Then, the third stage, was to combine what we want to keep and that which we create. The fourth and last stage was to implement this combination for the betterment of our situation. For
sustainability of a better life in one situation, this "search" has to be done constantly.
If one knows how terrible the situation is one comes from, one would not stop being creative in evaluating one's situation. Lebamang Sebidi reminds us of the origins of the poor and marginalised people in South Africa and what has caused them to be where they are now:
South African blacks are oppressed not primarily because they show a different skin colour, but because, basically, their economic interests are antithetical to those who are the economically dominant class. So whilst the conflict manifests itselfin forms that are racial, its origin is decidedly non-racial. Its origin is a collective attempt to protect group interests: the land, water, pasture, and later the mines, manufacturing industry and commerce. Itis, therefore, not race-relations that one should study and focus on, but class-relations. Inshort, the "face" of the problem is racial, but its essence is non-racial. (1986: 18)
According to Sebidi, the problem ofthe poor and marginalised communities of South Africa is not racial but "class relations". This originated from an "attempt to protect group interests" such as "land, water, pasture, and later the mines, manufacturing industry and commerce." This is still a bone of contention between the poor and rich even today in the present democratic government. The President of South Africa, Mr Thabo Mbeki, alluded to this as I quoted him in the early chapters of this study. He said that we are, "a nation divided in two parts: one rich, powerful, white, and in the minority; the other poor, powerless, black and in the majority."
So this is the context that this hope has to be engaged in and through this context an anticipation of a better life has to be lived by those who are poor and marginalised. Yes, the poor are still fighting for survival in their native country and the few rich people are still controlling the economic power of South Africa.
6. CONCLUSION
In this chapter, practical suggestions for possible solutions to resolve the plight of the poor and marginalised in South Africa have been given. These possible solutions come out of the challenge of Mbiti's African theology. Inactual fact, they are not solutions that are cut and dry, but case studies that
have been practically used in other situations with success. Itis not suggested that they will solve the problems of poverty and marginalisation, but they can be employed as some of the ways to solve the problem.
Itis in this chapter also that we have discovered that hope is found in most of these empowerment principles of John Mbiti's African theology. And we have discovered that hope plays a very significant role in empowerment. Lastly it has been discovered that John Mbiti's theological principles of empowerment are very relevant for the situation of the poor and marginalised in South Mrica.
There is no straight forward answer or simple response to this question. I believe that the poor and marginalised would have to look at a multi-pronged strategy to get this problem offtheir shoulders. They also have to look at the case studies presented in this study.
The church and the government should also work with them in their empowerment and struggle together in finding a solution to this problem, a problem which Sebidi calls "class-relations caused by an attempt to protect group interests such as land, economy and commerce". For that to happen we don't need one strategy but multiple strategies.
Itis my hope and belief that this problem of poverty and marginalisation would be radically decreased by the poor and marginalized themselves in collaboration with the present democratic government, as long as it seeks ways and means ofmaking people's lives better and equal irrespective ofrace and status of the individuals. So the way forward for me would be this: let us work together as one, united nation to find solutions to the problem of poverty and marginalisation in our country.
Ackermann, Denise M.
Balcomb, Anthony
Bosch, David J.
Bosch, David J.
Bujo, Benezet
Buthelezi, Manas
Claerbout, David