Comrades Some disgruntled sections from the ANC-Alliance who had severed links with the ruling party are launching initiatives like these. Although they have not entirely moved away from their Charterist ways, it looks there is an opening of a new political space with several figures trying to craft anew a socialist movement of sorts from the various strands of social movements that are at the forefront of protests in various community and industrial sites. Inescapably, Pan Africanists of all hues and tendencies who find themselves in the coalface of these mass protests whether by design or default would in one way or another be compelled by the force of circumstances to study these new developments, provide analysis and ultimately leadership. Leaders and members from various Pan Africanist formations have not just a moral responsibility but a political duty to lead in these circumstances in configuring a path within these open political spaces that will deepen capitalist contradictions and help intensify in building a true socialist consciousness among the vast masses of our people. Can we debate Ma-Afrika? Mawande Jack Left-wing groups in EC back Democratic Left ________________________________
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2009/12/15
THE idea of a Conference of the Democratic Left (CDL) - a platform for
dialogue for solidarity and mass action - was given a resounding
endorsement by left-wing organisations yesterday.
At a meeting in Grahamstown, representatives of several organisations
such as the Unemployed Peoples' Movement (UPM), Rural Development
Movement, Land Reform Investigation Movement and several others
undertook to organise a provincial version of the CDL early in 2010.
The national CDL is scheduled to be launched in March next year and
conveners are currently on a countrywide consultation mission.
The preliminary meeting in Grahamstown is understood to be the first of
these in the province.
One of the CDL conveners, Mazibuko Jara, said he hoped the CDL would
bring together a "weak and divided Left" and communities actively
involved in struggle. It was hoped the conference would "build
solidarity" in the Left.
He emphasised that the conference would not be about taking a "sectarian
stance against the ANC alliance" or any other party.
"We are not against the ANC, but we won't shy away from criticising the
capitalist policies of the ANC. We want to build a united,
anti-capitalist perspective and platform ... a non-sectarian, open-ended
Left that tries to draw as many people as possible from various
organisations onto a platform for political struggle."
Jara carefully steered the meeting away from the idea that the CDL was a
political party. He said that, at this point, they had "no idea" what
form it would take. But there was a need for an "alternative political
pole" in SA that would speak clearly for the poor and working people.
He said to move forward, the Left had to "unlearn" many of the "dogmas"
and styles of politics of the past and learn a "new style" for a
different anti- capitalist economic struggle.
Ayanda Kota from the Unemployed People's Movement in Makana said changes
in SA to date had been merely "cosmetic". People from the former
liberation movements had "shifted to the Right" and had become the
"CEOs" who had been co-opted by the system and were "toeing a different
line".
He warned that change would not come without courage and pledged the
UPM's support for the CDL, whatever form it took. "The truth is we need
an alternative. The CDL could not have come at a better time."
Afterwards Jara, who said he was delighted with the outcome of the
meeting, explained that he had found SACP's Blade Nzimande and Young
Communist League (YCL) secretary Buti Manamela's recent statements about
the CDL "disappointing".
According to the Mail & Guardian, Manamela told an SACP conference that
he was shocked Jara was still being kept a member of the party.
"(The organisers of the Democratic Left) are travelling the breadth and
width of the country trying to pull together, with no support, this
stokvel of theirs. We hang our heads in shame that he is from our
ranks."
Jara said the party "should not be threatened by the Left". "Hopefully
others will behave in more mature way."
He added that the derogatory statements about the CDL were infantile and
had been made out of "ignorance and paranoia".
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