Dear Editor,
March is another memorable month for Africans. March 25th 1807 (200 years ago) the British Government abolished the slave trade in its empire. The abolition of the slave trade was not achieved without the fight of Africans. Our continuous resistance to enslavement and successes in no uncertain terms caused slave traders and owners to realise the Africans will not sit idly by and accept the enforced slave status. Many will recall the passive and active resistance on the plantations in protest against the treatment meted out to our ancestors. Many stories have been documented of the tortures we suffered after rebellions were crushed. Many stories have been recorded that inspite of these tortures we refused to succumb. The fact that we are alive today to tell these stories and sing our Redemption Song is indicative of the inner strength and power we possess. Over the years, efforts -covert and overt- made to suppress and destroy our strength and power have not succeeded. I say to you my people, if under chattel slavery the masters did not succeed in crushing our spirit, don’t let them succeed today. We owe it to ourselves, our ancestors and our children.
On 9th March 1929, Hugh Desmond Hoyte was born. Someone once said that there is a marked distinction between a leader of greatness and a leader of opportunism. A great leader is one who can conceptualise, develop and implement programmess to benefit society. An opportunistic leader is one who is prepared to only put in place mechanisms to assure his continuity as the expense of society’s development. Mr. Hoyte’s works place him in the category of a great leader. His greatness stood out in the public role he played and most particularly on assuming presidential office in 1985 on the death of Mr. Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.
This great political leader conceptualised, developed and implemented programmess that were responsive to the needs and clamouring of the citizens. Mr. Hoyte was a man with a philosophy and driven by his philosophy. He believed that social growth and development can be realised through economic growth. He was a shrewd economist, grounded in the beliefs that economic development must have a social face. He fervently believed that economic development must be enjoyed by all, regardless of differences. This philosophy saw him introducing policies such as the free market enterprise and elevating the role of the private sector. In the social development sector he allowed the expansion of independent media. Under his presidency, the country saw the birth of media houses such as Stabroek News, CNS 6, and WRHM 7, etc. He fostered the ventilation of views and expanded freedom of expression so that on demitting office in 1992, the foundation was already formidably laid.
Mr. Hoyte modernised and re-fashioned the public service to meet the needs of a new dispensation. As such Guyana saw an injection of fresh thinking and intelligent personnel serving as permanent secretaries and other positions of responsibilities. The shift from a state controlled economy to a private meant that tough decisions had to be made. These decisions were made with the awareness that same can adversely impact on the citizenry. In attempts to cushion the negative impact Mr. Hoyte put in place structures such as the Social Impact Amelioration Programme (SIMAP) which provided opportunity to create, train and provide the requisite skills, knowledge, relief and empowerment to those most likely to be affected. There was also the Basic Needs Fund. In the educational system he gave us the Secondary School Reform Project (SSRP).
Mr. Hoyte had the personality of listening to the needs of the society, respecting the views of a wide cross section and implementing policies to the benefit of all. Evidence abounds. Some of his notable contributions in this regard have been: unhindered state employment opportunities for persons regardless of known political affiliation, e.g. current President, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo working at State Planning Secretariat, as one of the nation’s planners.
Recognising the era of information technology, Mr. Hoyte listened to the advice of Mr. Stanley Ming on the value of computer technology to the process of growth and development, which realised its duty free importation that made it easy on the importers and possible for citizens to acquire.
Mr. Hoyte’s attempts at bolstering economic growth also took on board the racial dynamics in the country. Though he was fully aware that his party was supported predominantly by Africans, he made it possible for opportunities, power, wealth and resources to be equally distributed to all regardless of race, colour, creed, religion and political persuasion. When it was realised that the economic viability of sugar and bauxite were threatened, Mr. Hoyte put in place identical strategies to examine, evaluate and make recommendations for the improved management of the industries and protect the jobs of the African and Indian communities. In agriculture there was a national policy targeting the expansion of rice, fishing and other industries, to name a few. It was during Mr. Hoyte’s stewardship that the rice industry had a renewed spurt.
In 1988, Mr. Hoyte’s government held similar national events marking the 150 years of Emancipation and Indian Arrival. A notable feat, these exercises allowed shared participations and exposures to all on the contributions and struggles of respective groups and deepening of knowledge and understanding.
It was the Hoyte government that created the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). The SAP delivered major growth for Guyana, way into 1997, five years after he demitted office. This model was praised by the International Financial Institutions and deemed as a module for growth and development. It is this same model which the PPP vehemently condemned when in opposition that they have copied today.
On the labour front, Mr. Hoyte consulted with trade union leaders and his government respected the Collective Bargaining process. Meaningful consultation was done in the preparation of the national Budget. Though there was a rift in the labour movement and at times disagreements between his government and labour leaders, Mr. Hoyte never compromised his innate decency nor his job as President for all. Mr. Hoyte never took away the GTUC’s subvention or funding to hold events such as Labour Day. His principled position on the ventilations and respect for differing views saw his government’s withdrawal of the wage freeze after workers agitation. This action became a characteristic landmark, and spoke to the fact of a strong and upstanding personality.
Hoyte’s efforts to continue to weld the nation together and advocate equitable social and economic growth as Opposition leader, while not delivering tangible results due to the intractable, fearful and vindictive nature of the status quo, were nonetheless admirable. His success came in the fact of his determination and refusal to be silenced, defined and directed by outsiders. He, more than ever, knew the pains of his people and refused to be dictated to by his detractors who knew not the pains of his people. Like the great ancestors he stood tall, overpowering and fearless among his enemies and detractors. He stood up, fought for and died for what he believed.
We owe it to ourselves and the ancestors to continue the fight of Mr. Hoyte for our social, political and economic equality. In our Redemption march please add this patch to our quilted history. Keep this letter and share the achievements with our relatives, friends, detractors and enemies. Tell these stories as part of our legacy and process of overcoming.
Yours faithfully,
Quacy O. Softleigh
