The overwhelming majority of the oppressed people in
South Africa have reached a conclusion that the future of the country depends
on the overhaul of the current system but the question troubling all is:
"How do we overthrow capitalism? And who is to be trusted, as wolves have
appeared in sheep skins before?".
Before we attempt to answer this question, it
becomes necessary for us to highlight errors that the popular EFF is beginning
to commit. We also wish to highlight that, with the hype and overconfidence
amongst those rallying behind the EFF, this article is drafted at the risk of
being attacked unnecessarily. The EFF has emerged as the most militant and
radical voice of the poor but like an ocean, the EFF contains healthy and
poisonous elements in it. The ambitious elites isolated from the ANC have been
disappointed by COPE and their hope has been renewed but like we said - it also
contain healthy elements - the EFF has attracted the youth and ordinary workers
who have declared war with the State. This character has left many comrades
mumbling and not knowing what approach should be given towards the EFF as any
form of antagonism might popularize you amongst the united force that has
recently painted the country red. Many socialist organizations have actually
opted to joining this Titanic that carries everyone but the only crisis is that
the EFF is beginning to reveal its true colours and its class character now.
The EFF has publicly announced that 'it want to discontinue private ownership
but willing to look at 60% state owned and 40% private ownership at an initial
stage'. This is an intention to manage capitalist interests better than the ANC
does, but will ultimately result in disaster as unions and workers
organizations will be smashed to promote capitalist development.
Section/Clause 31 of the EFF Manifesto proposes 'the
right of all people to trade and manufacture'. Who is the EFF referring to by
'People'? Is this not a room to accommodate capitalism as capitalists are not
animals? Least we forget that it is the right of every South Africa citizen to
access to education but because of the existing capitalist institutions and structures;
such a right only exist in the homes of the Rich. The deliberate omission of
working class in the Manifesto is an indication that the EFF doesn't fight for
a social transformation of the society but theirs is to maintain and manage the
capitalist institutions. Even if the EFF may argue that it stands for socialism
- theirs will be a stageist theory that believes the cooperation with
capitalism is necessary and class antagonism can be minimized.
By adopting the ANC YL Nationalization Policy that
advocated for 60/40 ownership of Mines, the EFF is exposing its class character
as a petite-bourgeois organization. The adoption of Two-Stage Theory is another
indication that the EFF still suffers the Tripartite-Alliance Syndrome of
National Democratic Revolution program and has therefore become a poor
imitation of the ANC. Postponing socialism by kneeling before NDR the
organization has adopted a position to undermine the power of the working
class. We now expect the first stage after the failed one under the 20 years of
class apartheid. The Mixed economy and Market Socialism are right wing and
revisionist theories! We must caution those wearing the Red beret that such
might turn into the most poisonous snake on their head if the proposed policies
are to be implemented.
In attempting to answer the 'How and by who?'
question, our answer will be Permanent Revolution. Every fight to end poverty,
increase human rights or achieve national liberation requires the leadership of
the working class and socialism in order to have a lasting success. Murry Weiss
summarized Permanent Revolution as 'a process of worldwide, uninterrupted and
uninterruptible struggle of all oppressed people, led by the proletariat, for
economic, social and political liberation.' Workers in their own right are the
force capable of overthrowing capitalism not a Messiah or any Commander!
Our Proposed Way Forward:
- an immediate call for the Conference of the Left
to unite the fragmented left in South Africa and build a Revolutionary Party
that'll base itself mainly on the working class because of the leading role
this class must play. The Conference must be used as a platform to formulate
and adopt the Programme (socialist) of the party.
- The conference must strongly highlight that it is
not sufficient to simply proclaim ourselves in favour of revolution to be a
revolutionary party. This is necessary to distinguish this party from a
'centrist' party that'll only sound revolutionary in speeches and analysis but
when it comes to decisive moments in struggle, would switch to reformist position
and fail to take the struggle forward.
- We call upon Workers and Socialist Party to
forward an appeal letter to the rank and file membership of COSATU, AMCU, and
other community and workers organizations to discuss and adopt a call for the
Conference. The call must be made publicly and delegation should be forwarded
in time from participating organizations to avoid poor organization and other
movements crying foul over the process. EFF should be invited to avoid a
situation wherein this revolutionary step towards uniting the left will be
interpreted as a hostile act calculated to destabilize EFF. The militancy and
courage amongst ordinary and innocent membership is very inspiring and
courageous, but we need to direct this militancy against capitalism not merely
creating a competitive condition between the Old and New ANC. It is the wine
that we hate, not the bottle!
In Conclusion, we wish to indicate that the courage
and fighting spirit displayed by NUMSA and AMCU membership over the past weeks
and months has inspired us a lot. But running within the circles of capitalism
must come to an end; the ANC and DA have been defending the interests of
Imperialists. In Marx's words, 1850: "Even when there is no prospect
whatsoever of their being elected, the workers must put up their own candidates
in order to preserve their independence, to count their forces, and to bring
before the public their revolutionary attitude and party standpoints... The
ultimate advance which the proletarian party is bound to make by such
independent action is indefinitely more important than the disadvantage that
might be incurred by the presence of a few reactionaries in the representative
body.
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