There is a separation that has occurred between the leadership of the ruling party and that of its representatives in government, where decisions that are made in government are based on the ‘direction’ of polices formed at congress. Obviously this is essential for a working government as ANC congress can’t formulate every policy in its entirety to be passed through parliament and it would negate parliamentary debate. We saw this quite strongly with some policies in the Mbeki era. When it comes to SACP members, which is what this debate is about the SACP Road to Socialism was quite clear and stated:
the SACP expects all of its members who are ANC public representatives to be exemplary communists, respecting the integrity, unity and discipline of our leading alliance partner, the ANC, without losing their own communist identity, principles and morality. The ANC as a broad church has some capitalist tendencies of which individual members of the SACP must act to criticise and defeat in internal debate within the structures of the Organisation. This is no easy task especially as the SACP constitution rightly has point 6.4: Members active in fraternal organisations or in any sector of the mass movement have a duty to set an example of loyalty, hard work and zeal in the performance of their duties and shall be bound by the discipline and decisions of such organisations and movement. They shall not create or participate in SACP caucuses within such organisations and movements designed to influence either elections or policies. The advocacy of SACP policy on any question relating to the internal affairs of any such organisations or movements shall be by open public statements or at joint meetings between representatives of the SACP and such organisations or movements. This means that an individual member of the SACP must act and abide by the decisions of the ANC. However the area that is in question is not that of decisions of the ANC as an Organisation, but of the ANC in government. Now if an elected ANC member who is a cadre of the SACP is clearly acting and promoting pro-capitalist polices, weather telling workers to cross pickets or condemning legitimate strike action, then because this was not a ANC organisational decision (if the person in question is a minister it is his or her prerogative to make legitimate response to any such action as long as it doesn’t conflict with ANC Congress or ANC EC decisions. Not that of the ANC in government) the individual in question should face questioning about those un- communist decisions. In essence comrades, what I am saying is that the SACP is supposed to be the vanguard party, not a mass movement. It is not a union for those of socialist tendency, it IS a party of disciplined Marxist- Leninists who will help and guide the working class to Socialism and communism. Therefore an individual in any position where the above situation (or indeed any other situation where they are talking in a personal capacity) regardless of political heritage, if acting and behaving in an undisciplined manner that undermines the direction of the SACP or who ‘speaks left but walks right’ is observed, then that individual should be questioned WITHIN the structures of the SACP and if there can be no reconciliation (they are clearly not communist) then they should no longer be members of the SACP. I am not suggesting that there shouldn’t be internal debate, which is essential and necessary. Nor am i suggesting that the party should use its constitution to remove opinions and debate, as happened in many western communist parties such as the communist party of Great Britain by EURO-communists in the 1980’s. What i am saying is that the communist party should be reserved for communist and should not be viewed as a mass organisation. Its doors always open for membership but to those who are communist, not capitalist or those looking to get jobs or the political careerists. The CCCP under Khrushchev and the membership expansion is an example of the dangers of a diluted membership. The YCL should be the educating body that creates the next generation of communists. I hope nobody misinterprets what i am trying to suggest, and even whilst writing this the dangers of misinterpretation of what i am writing is obvious to me. Also obvious are the dangers of what i am actually suggesting if used by negative forces to stifle internal debate. However i feel it is essential to the debate and hope it will spark more invigorating discussion (hopefully not of a slanderous nature). There can be no discipline if there is no condemnation of the un- disciplined. Brendan Lee Rhodes Branch YCL On Jun 6, 6:00 pm, "Alex M. Mashilo" <[email protected]> wrote: > We must engage the ANC through structures. This is more than ever correct. > But the SACP medium Term Vision (MTV) has got a good lesson for us. Among the > centres of power that the MTV finds critical in this and any future stage of > our revolution is the ideological terrain. Once any of our formations of the > working class are attacked in public, through the media, like the ANC would > do, we must respond in public, through the media. > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mamphekgo,Steve (GPDPR) [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Fri 6/5/2009 1:50 PM > To: [email protected] > > Cc: > Subject: [YCLSA Discussion] Re: Gwede Mantashe a Disapointment to the > Workersand the Poor > > Cde President (Sabelo) you are quite right. We need to turn the ANC > into a “disciplined force of the left”, that is able to champion the > interests of the working class, as the motive force of the National > Democratic Revolution. This is the logical course of struggle we must > continue to pursue within the ANC and broader mass democratic movement. I am > saying logical course of our revolution because I am one of those who do not > subscribe to the notion of the ANC being the broad church. We need to > unapologetically entrench the working class hegemony within the ANC by > participating in all its structures and contesting the content of its > revolutionary agenda. We cannot arrogantly expect this to come on a silver > platter, but we must lobby and campaign for this hegemony, without > necessarily alienating those who sympathize with our course. I am not sure > whether to agree with the approach of using “all legally permissible > channels”, because I do not think that we can regulate our comradely > relationship through legal channels. This is the tendency that emerged > post-Polokwane whereby we have witnessed comrades such as TM and others > running to the courts of law for a legal recourse against the ANC and their > own comrades. We must continue to engage through the structures of our > movement, including the ANC, Party and COSATU, to contest the content of our > struggle agenda and continue to persuade one another. In case of disputes or > disagreements, our movement provides organizational recourse to resolve such, > not necessarily the courts of law. > > _____ > > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of sabelo gina > Sent: Friday, June 05, 2009 1:01 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [YCLSA Discussion] Re: Gwede Mantashe a Disapointment to the > Workers and the Poor > > Hi Comrades, > > I want to begin by saying that we want the ANC that is a "disciplined > force of the left". The contemporary question should then say, Post- > Polokwane, have we achieved that in a manner that we want. My answer will be > no, we must continue to use all legaly permissible channels to mobilise for > the hegemony of the working class agenda in the ANC through active > participation in the structures of the ANC. > > Numsa is happy that COSATU CEC was persuaded to make this campaign, a > Federation campaign. We also know that the Governor will meet NUMSA > leadership on 15 June 2009 in the offices wheer he refused to come out and > receive the memorandum. > > I thank you, > > Sabelo Gina. > > On Fri, Jun 5, 2009 at 11:42 AM, Mamphekgo,Steve (GPDPR) > <[email protected]> wrote: > > I fully concur with comrade Kanego and Morgan on this matter. I think > that there is high level of arrogance prevailing amongst some of us, as > comrades, which creates a wrong impression that we have got sole title deed > over this revolution. We need to begin to engage each other in an honest and > comradely manner, and remain principled cadres throughout the course of our > struggle. I do not completely share the sentiments expressed by Cde Gwede > during the NUMSA Conference, but I believe that we must remain sober in > addressing what we think to be wrong amongst ourselves, particularly as > communists and members of the ANC. Two wrongs will never make right. It > doesn’t help to use this platform galling Cde Gwede as though we are dealing > with some counter-revolutionary. Let us use our organizational structures and > platforms in addressing the discontent we may have about one another. Let us > accord Cde Gwede the necessary respect primarily as one of us, a comrade, one > of the leaders of our revolution, senior leader of both the ANC and SACP. > > Chill maqabane! > > _____ > > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of morgan phaahla > Sent: Friday, June 05, 2009 8:45 AM > > To: [email protected] > Subject: [YCLSA Discussion] Re: Gwede Mantashe a Disapointment to the > Workers and the Poor > > Well said comrade and I wish everyone could take cue from your earnest appeal > to recognise common variants of our movement led by the ANC. > > We always preach collectivism but when practised we cry foul and question the > bona fide of the messenger. Let's practice what we preach in principle - not > by preference or selectively. I trust cde Kanego has brought finality to this > debate, unless otherwise there's an exigency. > > I remain, > > Morgan Phaahla > > "Sometimes, if you wear suits for too long, it changes your ideology." - Joe > Slovo > > --- On Thu, 6/4/09, Kanego, Clarence Thete <[email protected]> wrote: > > From: Kanego, Clarence Thete <[email protected]> > Subject: [YCLSA Discussion] Re: Gwede Mantashe a Disapointment to the > Workers and the Poor > To: [email protected] > Date: Thursday, June 4, 2009, 4:01 PM > > Your views on Cde Gwede are flawed and a disrespect to a real > Communist and Cadre. The African National Congress is not the SACP nor COSATU > so Cde Gwede cannot be expected to be the Chairperson of SACP in the capacity > of the Secretary General of the ANC. I repeat myself on this matter, ask Cde > Gwede in a meeting of the SACP about his view on the issue he will tell you > what the SACP stand is on the matter of strikes. We will be fooled to expect > Cde Gwede to echo the SACP stand in the capacity of ANC. This also reflects > that we may be influential in terms of policy thrust of the ANC as the > leading partner of the Tripartite Alliance, however we are not yet the > strongest dominating force hence there are contradicting forces within this > movement. > > On Sat, May 30, 2009 at 5:55 PM, NT Zwane <[email protected] > <http://us.mc502.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > wrote: > > Cadres > > Revolutionary greetings. > > What is Cde Gwede doing It doesn't even sound well anymore if I call > him a cadre or comrade. I thought he was a unionist and a communist > now he really showed the workers where his loyalty is situated. The > workers are not the ones who started or created this economic crisis, > no as Alex Mashilo says this Capitalist Crisis. How can one of our own > come with this Stalinist tendencies of silencing workers. > > Gwede Mantashe must apologise to the workers and to the members of the > Party. Workers are engaged in a permannet revolution, Comrades should > not abandon the working class at the convenience of the cruel, evil > Capitalist as one of my cadres said when i engaged him on this matter. > > If Gwede Mantashe really respects SACP which is the vanguard of the > working class and the workers themselves he must withdraw this > uncalled for statement. > > I was really impressed by cde Blade and Vavi when they showed where > their loyalty is situated. A true communist will never sell out the > masses like what Gwede Mantashe is doing. He is feeling comfortable at > Luthuli House and he has forgotten how badly and cruel the workers are > being treated at the work place. How can one forget so fast I wonder > if he still keeps the Marxist and Leninist classics in his office or > house or now he is reading ADAM SMITH and HOW TO GET RICH QUICKER AND > EASIER THROUGH EXPLOITATION OF WORKERS. > > Let us not comrades compromise the workers, ANC spoke of decent jobs > before the election, and now when workers want to strike to protect > this none decent jobs Mr Capitalist and former Communist Gwede > Mantashe comes and insult them in their gathering it is really > suprisng how a communist and a unionist can fastly forget the > challenges that workers are facing day in day out at the work place. > > Amandla cadres this are just my views. > > This message and attachments are subject to a disclaimer. Please refer > towww.it.up.ac.za/documentation/governance/disclaimer/for full > details. / Hierdie boodskap en aanhangsels is aan 'n > vrywaringsklousule > onderhewig. Volledige besonderhede is by > www.it.up.ac.za/documentation/governance/disclaimer/beskikbaar. > > Disclaimer: > > This message may contain confidential information and is intended > only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should > not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender > immediately by e-mail if you have received this e-mail by mistake and delete > this e-mail from your system. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be > secured or error-free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, > destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain viruses. The sender > therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the > content of this message, which arise as a result of e-mail transmission. The > Gauteng Provincial Government does not take responsibility for Gauteng > Provincial Government users' personal views. Gauteng Provincial Government > services available online > at:www.gautengonline.gov.za<http://www.gautengonline.gov.za/> > > <br > > Disclaimer: > > This message may contain confidential information and is intended > only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should > not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender > immediately by e-mail if you have received this e-mail by mistake and delete > this e-mail from your system. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be > secured or error-free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, > destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain viruses. The sender > therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the > content of this message, which arise as a result of e-mail transmission. The > Gauteng Provincial Government does not take responsibility for Gauteng > Provincial Government users' personal views. Gauteng Provincial Government > services available online > at:www.gautengonline.gov.za<http://www.gautengonline.gov.za/> > > > > winmail.dat > 23KViewDownload- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
