I noted with interest the brief exchange between comrade Linda, Payco President and Cde Sibeko. In discussion was the role and visibility of the youth movement within and outside the ranks. The two in the end agreed that our space has been deeply enchroached and that the youth wing could do more. For the Payco President to make this concession marks for me a sign of leadership, and the willingness to submit oneself to criticism by others and self critism.
Despite this, I think the issue at play is much deeper than that and beyond Payco. The crux is with the entire PAC and its membership as expressed through the leadership structures. The enchroachment of our space was allowed by ourselves and has been a threatening phenomenon in the party for some time. And this phenomenon has been on the ascend and win particularly since the 90s. It is a result of liberalism and modernism. The engineers of this opened space argued the need for PAC to be civilised and acceptable in the eyes of capital and the public. Instead of assuming vanguard role they argued that rather than show the masses the way and confront capital and its local PR front, we should relent and conform. In their view the struggle should be about how to lead the current system efficiently. The end for them is electoral victory and no more. They conveniently fail to appreciate that our ills are foundational and systemic hence the need to dismantle and start on a new framework, entirely. The system cannot be reformed, it must be destroyed foro total obliteration. We must refer them to the ANC which has been in power for almost 20 years now but what happened? Look at Zimbabwe, it only turned the corner now after the vetarans assumed power and forced Mugabe to join the dismantle of civilised system and policy, that Zimbabwe is on a solid path to sovereignty. This is what happened to the PAC and it is still happening now !! We seek too much approval from the engineers of the system we must blow off. We have been lacking in relentlessness and endurance. As soon as we quitened on our key positions which placed us on a historical pedestal the ANC and its leagues were quick to adopt the same uncivilised models, in words and slogans notably Mbeki and the leagues. All of the models. The land question, nationalisation, pan Africanism etc. For this reasons I have been worried at the admiration by some of us of the anc and its leagues. They have said nothing we have not said with some of our cadres matyred in combat for this. Only we lacked the persistence to be the voice of this cos we were the only voice in that regard and often opposed and ridiculed by the anc incl Mbeki and the leagues. Ask the exilees for free lessons and the Islanders. They ridiculed the land question. Ask those of us who made our contributions in the student movement. To say moAfrika or talk of land was the joke of the century. Granted we can acknowledge them for coming to the party but doing so as though what they profess is novel is incomprehensible. In any case the danger of allowing demagogues to run with your policy positions is distortions and betrayal of the whole cause. Look at Mbeki who worked so hard to oppose and delay the unification of Africa. We must differentiate revolutionary from educatednessnd gentlemanish tendencies. The fact that someone is well read and decent does not make them revolutionary. Sobukwe confronted the system and would have worked tirelessly for Afrika to unite. Remember when he (Mbeki) scuppered Gaddafi s efforts in this regard? Look at the ANCYL merchant traders posing as activists. We must wake up and stop mindless praise singing of people that cream face with our policies cos they don't mean this. Look at the Freedom Charter and the Constition. This is where their positions are and we must not be cajoled by media briefs and sound bites. Another thing. To win this battle we will have to fight. Anyone here must show any credible overthrow not preceded by fierce confrontation. So in reality we need to assume our space through a program and a leadership. And a leadership that is immersed in the theory and practice of the PAC. In this poise we must demand leadership of character and never give in to personalities that want to emerge through the cracks. We don't want a Blade phenomenon in the leadership of the party. People whose history cannot be traced or is traceable to dodgy pasts outside of the PAC. I agree with comrade Linda and Sibeko but I think at root has been our mistaken desire to look 'good' and a desire for ovation in our lifetime. We need a centre that holds to rid the party of what Mao calls mistaken ideas, for they have become too many and keep springing up by the day. Afrika is ours and all its resources!! Matome Mashao Sent from my BlackBerry® -- 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
