Cde Mmbara, Powerful introspection. This message is indeed thought provoking. It distinguishes between revolutionary and reactionary work. Every revolutionary of our generation must make an introspection and make a decisive stance.
Thanks comrade Mmbara for reminding us our historic duty to the revolution. Izwe lethu! Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you! -----Original Message----- From: "Hulisani Mmbara " <[email protected]> Sender: [email protected] Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2012 13:13:05 To: PAYCO GOOGLE GROUP PAYCO GOOGLE GROUP<[email protected]> Reply-To: [email protected] Subject: [PAYCO] Thoughts on the leadership challenge in the party Dear Comrades, Many efforts have been made to reposition the PAC, especially dealing with the leadership question. One such effort is the PAC Indaba held in Orlando yesterday, which also doubled as the 53rd Anniversary celebrations of the formation of the party. Tremendous work has been done and continues. In this regard, efforts of party members should be commended. As we go about resolving the leadership crisis in the party, we must also ask the fundamental question which is at the heart of regression in the party, that is the lack of ideological clarity, strategy, vision and a programme of action. What is to be done after removing what we both believe is the stumbling block at this juncture? Is the current stumbling block the only cause of regression in the party? I would venture to say there are many causes of regression in the party which is why the party has been in this sorry state of affairs for decades. But post 1994 the challenges became even greater with the advent of parliament and many government employment opportunities which came with the promise of clover and comfort which many within the ranks of the liberation movement were deprived for decades. This promise also included the hope for many to spend time with friends, family and loved ones in 'peace' without being hounded by forces of repression. This era, even though heralded as ushering in freedom, also introduced a break with the noble culture of service and sacrifice within the ranks of the liberation movement. For a party like ours which was falling behind events, this period was bound to spell more doom. The fact that the party was tailing behind others was worse enough to create more chaos in the party hence the vicious circle we find ourselves in. Instead of leadership taking a calm posture to chart a wayforward, positioning the party to play a leading role and direct the liberation struggle, the tailing game won the day and remain the winner to-date. We need to pause and stop tailing behind and reacting to ANC agenda. We will not be victors in the ANC agenda. What is our agenda as a party at this historical epoch? We must set our own terms to pave the path to our ideological destiny. The stage set by the ANC will never take us there. What do we plan to do for the people of Azania, our oppressed women, the toiling workers, the poor masses of our land, Africa and the rest of the oppressed world? What is our vision? Where do we want to take our people? How do we want to create our version of a just society - an africanist socialist democracy? How do we want to free our people from landlessness, hunger, poverty, capitalist exploitation, cultural subjugation, illiteracy and ignorance? These are the questions which must seize our moments. The ANC is going and it will go, no doubt about. Very few governments last more than 50 years, for example. Those than do, engage in robust cultural revolution and political education to highten the consciousness of the people. The question is who will finally bring down the ANC and take Azania forward? Will it be the PAC? Even if the PAC takes over, how long will that last? Power can only be consolidated and maintained when there is a forward looking dynamic programme under the stewardship of a disciplined revolutionary leadership. Selflessness and commitment to the people is key in this regard. If we don't firmly restore a culture of selfless leadership what will become of the africanist socialist democratic state and its ideals? Will we leave up to this noble task as a party? Needless to say, we need selflessness and sacrifice first to lead our people to freedom before we can dream of taking charge and we need same to maintain the africanist socialist democratic state. There is no struggle anywhere in history which was won without sacrifice on the part of leadership. I'm yet to see a struggle won without leadership sacrifices. If truth be told there will never be such. We can obfuscate and romanticize about this but nothing beats the truth. Are we selfless? Are we prepared to die, to go to prison or leave our families for the sake of our people? The truth is that this is the price we will have to pay. There are no other road for a genuine leadership of people struggles. How long will we procrastinate and obfuscate? Do we still live by the motto of serve, suffer and sacrifice? Too often I have heard comrades whispering that the triple S does not work anymore. Are we prepared to recommit to this noble values of our movement? The people will carry-on with their struggles daily as we see in many poor communities, especially squatter camps, work floors and institutions of higher learning, but without leadership these struggles can never be victorious. Even if the people banish the rulers from power without leadership such gains cannot be sustained. I believe we all know this. But are we prepared to pay the price? I don't think so. This is not the conversation I hear amongst comrades. Many a time one get a sense that while comrades are shy to collaborate with the ANC on record, they are nevertheless not prepared to upset the established. This therefore is tacit collaboration. Let it be said that IF YOU ARE NOT AGAINST THEM, YOU ARE WITH THEM. In this debate, one thing must be acknowledged though...sacrifices have been made by leaders in the 60's, 70's, 80's and early 90's? Those sacrifices have delivered the political environment we live in. This milestone is not minor although not an end. To make this point, people were killed in genocidal proportions simply for espousing an alternative political order let alone socio-economic order. This was the order of the day during those horrible days. Many laid down their lives and fell in combat. The political environment today is a far cry compared to where we come from (Due to age, i didn't live under or directly experience the terror of apartheid settler colonialism. I have read about it and have seen its scars. I'm subjected to its legacy). So political 'democracy' is an important milestone. All these were achieved because sacrifices were made. Leadership was provided to the struggles of our people. However the struggle has not been taken to its logical conclusion and the danger with this is that political democracy becomes hollow and meaningless if it doesn't overturn the power scales in favour of the people democratic ownership of the means of production and distribution of wealth, undermining the sacrifices and gains made. So the question is who must make the sacrifices to take the struggle to its logical conclusion? My personal view is that those who have made sacrifices in the pre early 90's epoch will be unlikely to do so again. As generations of warriors, they made their sacrifices during their times. The next generation in line is a generation that I'm part of. This generation must fulfill its mission or betray it. What is it gonna be? Sobukwe and other fallen heroes and heroines of our struggle are staring this generation on the face saying it is your turn to take the struggle forward. As a member of this generation, one has a deep seated urge to take responsibility. There are only two choices, lead or betray. The tailing game and the tacit collaboration is part of betrayal. Preparedness to completely sacrifice, forsake glorified slavery (employment), house bonds, credit cars, family-time and the niceties of life while our land is ravaged by landlessness, poverty, hunger and capitalist exploitation will be the real test of revolutionary leadership. Of course this does not just happen, it comes as a consequence of standing up for the liberation of the people. Any leadership whose actions (i'm not talking recklessness and anarchy which exposes the revolution to damaging attacks by the enemy) doesn't invite adverse internal and external consequences is not true revolutionary leadership. I need not remind anyone that freedom and power is not delivered on a silver plate or as the great Chairman Mao will say "revolution is not a dinner party". Any leadership which takes a direction short of anything that invites adverse consequences to itself "is not against them but with them" - the system. One should also clarify that the call for leadership is not about the ceremonials of party leadership elections and occupying positions. It is about true revolutionary leadership. Sacrifice is inherent in this calibre of leadership. The leadership question will not be resolved by removing one president and replace him/her with another. We have been there before. This approach is dangerously immature and myopic. Experience has shown that the manner we have gone about dealing with the leadership in the past was downright wrong. As a result, the replacement president turned out to be more hopeless that the predecessor. The other pertinent issue is the question of collective leadership which has been absent in our approach and expectations. Before we form lobby groups and crown ourselves into positions whose tasks and commitment we cannot live up to, we must do soul searching and ask ourselves a simple question... are we ready to die for our people? This is the ultimate price any committed leadership of the people will be forced to pay. This we must internalize with the seriousness and passion of a prayer. I'm deliberately ignoring the issue of elections (parliamentary and municipal) because they are not relevant in this discussion. It's beside the point. The election stage is set by the victors for the victors. We are not the victors here and therefore have nothing to gain from elections. The great commander, Sabelo's declaration that the bullet will not be abandon until the ballot box is secured, is instructive. This declaration is more profound and insightful than many imagine and comprehend. Unfortunately it has been reduced to a slogan. From our vintage point, is the ballot box secured? You cannot secure the ballot box when you are outside state power. We need a different strategy of dealing with elections and its platforms instead of being passengers in palaces were we make no decisions...part of the tailing game and tacit collaboration. There are many important issues but the theme of this discussion - selflessness and sacrifice is the more critical because it is about us. It is about the inner side, the heart and the conscience. If we are to be true instruments of revolution, that revolution must start inside our hearts. It is easy to lament the social vices that engulfs our people but another to take a stand and act against oppression, exploitation and injustice. Let's talk to ourselves about this. The people are waiting for fearless and selfless leadership. Izwelethu! I-Afrika! Hulisani Mmbara 0825933012 Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you! -- Sending your posting to [email protected] Unsubscribe by sending an email to [email protected] You can also visit http://groups.google.com/group/payco Visit our website at www.mayihlome.wordpress.com -- Sending your posting to [email protected] Unsubscribe by sending an email to [email protected] You can also visit http://groups.google.com/group/payco Visit our website at www.mayihlome.wordpress.com
