02. Who are we?
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu was first to sign the Franschhoek Valley Transformation Charter when it was launched at the historic Dutch Reformed Church in Franschhoek on Thursday 16 February 2012.
The Charter has been written by a group of locals from all walks of life who wanted to proactively facilitate transformation in line with the ideals expressed in the country’s constitution.
Quoting from Isaiah, the Archbishop told the assembled residents of Franschhoek, “You are doing God’s work and I am very proud to be able to be part of you. What you are doing is setting an example for the rest of South Africa to follow. You have recognised that it is untenable to live so near yet so far apart from one another. You have understood that no matter if we have straight blonde hair or lustrous peperkorrels, where we worship or what language we speak, we are members of one family, the human family, God’s family.”
Archbishop Tutu has agreed to be Patron of the Charter and encouraged all residents of the area to sign. “Through this initiative you people of Franschhoek are becoming the people God wants us all to be, a generation of activists for a better world; a world of greater compassion and understanding of one another… of less inequity, intolerance and selfishness.”
At the Charter launch, local choirs sang songs of reconciliation and hope, the Archbishop gave his address and the Charter was read in the three main local languages – Afrikaans, English and Xhosa.
The Charter was developed from the realisation that, although the Franschhoek Valley has undergone major development in the past few decades, to become one of South Africa’s top tourist destinations renowned for its outstanding wines, haute cuisine and natural beauty, it (like most South African communities) remains divided on many levels. Mr Melvin King, a pioneering educator and Principal of Bridge House Preparatory School in Franschhoek, initially planted the seed of how to address, in a developmental way, the issues faced by this community. Says King, “I am inspired by this incredible initiative and am deeply invested in this community and its people.”
Sintu Quza, a development worker, who has been living in Franschhoek and was involved in the transformation group from the early days, says “When we met and learned how much good work had already been undertaken by other individuals and organisations, we were inspired to work together and pursue these ideals. The Charter was the result, with people uniting in the spirit of ubuntu.”
Dr Ernest Messina, a businessman who was born on a farm outside Franschhoek, is Chair of the Transformation Charter group. “Our community is relatively small but still largely divided like many other communities in South Africa. I believe that we have a moral obligation to do whatever we can to leave a legacy that is significantly better than the one we inherited. In that way we will endeavour to ensure that the human potential of the Valley’s inhabitants is realised,” he says.
The Charter was carefully worded and its final paragraph sums up the basic ethos of this commitment:
“We believe that our destiny is in our own hands. In everything we do, therefore, we shall demonstrate our awareness and belief that we are a diverse but interdependent community, which shares a common environment and future destiny. We want to be members of an active civil society, made up of individuals aware of their needs, rights and responsibilities. We want to live in a healthy, productive, and caring community where the dignity and humanity of ALL is upheld and celebrated. We want to be free and safe and happy. We want to proclaim our membership of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s “Rainbow People of God”. This is not an unattainable ideal and it should not take decades to achieve. We will have reached our destination when we care for each other and our Valley in an everyday, realistic and sustainable fashion, not because anyone has told us to, but because we ourselves believe that it is in our own self-interest to do so. Let’s take hands and share the responsibility of getting there.”
The Franschhoek Valley Transformation Charter is on view and available for signing at the Dutch Reformed Church in Franschhoek. For more details email transformation.charter@gmail.com