Apologies to the New Age and to the Morning Star for the mix-up of the logos.
VC *Communist University** Course Downloads**:* *[image: CU Course Archive] <http://studycircle.wikispaces.com/Communist+University>* *E-mail forums (click)*: *Communist University <https://groups.google.com/group/communist-university>*; *YCLSA <https://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum>*; *CU-Africa <https://groups.google.com/group/CUAfrica>*; *SADTU <https://groups.google.com/group/sadtu-political-education-forum>* *Moderator*: *[email protected] <[email protected]>* On 17 June 2016 at 09:23, VC <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > [image: Morning Star.png] > > > > > > *Communists should stand firmly behind ANC in local polls* > > > > > > *Phatse Justice Piitso, The New Age, Johannesburg, 17 June 2016* > > > > On August 3 the people of our country will exercise their democratic right > to vote in the local government elections. This will be a titanic battle > between the revolutionary forces led by the galant ANC and forces of > reaction in the ranks of the DA counter revolutionary forces. > > > > We take this opportunity to urge all formations of the working class in > our country to use the coming local elections as a decisive moment for the > defence of the victories of our national democratic revolution. There is no > other party which carries the interests and aspirations of the South > African working class other than the ANC. > > > > One of the most important theoretical debates dominating the election > period is the question of the vanguard role of the communist party in our > liberation movement and its relationship to state power. There are growing > voices from within and from outside our national liberation movement that > call for the communist party to contest the local elections on its own as > an independent party. > > > > This is not just rhetoric but the most fundamental theoretical question > arising out of the historic necessity of the role of the communist party as > a political leader of the struggles of the working class. It is an > indispensable question which is necessarily about the leadership role of > the party in the class struggle and hegemony of the working class power. > > > > This question will continue to dominate debates in society as long as the > antagonistic relationships between the systems of capitalism and communism > continue to be the principal feature of our society. It will shape our > ideological debates as long as the inherent contradictions of the dominant > capitalist world continue to impose themselves onto the world of humanity. > > > > But the fundamental question which arises regularly is whether the > necessary objective conditions exist within the South African realities for > the party to contest the coming elections on its own as an independent > party. > > > > Surely this is a question which requires our deeper analysis of the > prevailing material conditions in our country and the world. > > > > The communist parties of the world are duty bound to abide by the > universal principles set out in the communist manifesto which, among other > things, say: “the communists do not form a separate party opposed to other > working class parties. They have no interest separate and apart from those > of the proletariat as a whole. They do not set out any sectarian principles > on their own, by which to shape and mould the proletariat movement.” > > > > Further, that “the communist parties of the world are distinguished from > the other working class parties by the following characteristics. In the > national struggle of the proletariats of the different countries, they > point out and bring to the front the common interests of the entire > proletariat, independent of nationality. > > > > In the various stages of development which the struggle of the working > class against the bourgeoisie has to pass through, they always and > everywhere represent the interest of the movement as a whole.” > > > > Vladimir Lenin says the following in the strategy and tactics of the > communist movement: “In its own interest, the working class should strive > to lead the national democratic revolution and not allow the leadership of > the revolution to be assumed by the bourgeoisie, but on the contrary, to > take the most energetic part in it, to fight resolutely for consistent > proletariat democratism, for the revolution to be carried to its logical > conclusion.” > > > > In other words the communist party is comprised of the most advanced > sections of the working class guided by our revolutionary scientific theory > of Marxism Leninism. Its historic mission is to consolidate the political > and socio-economic hegemony of this class which constitute the majority of > the population of the world. > > > > On the basis of a scientific analysis of the new epoch of imperialism, > Vladimir Lenin creatively and comprehensively developed the views of > Marxism on the national and colonial question. He understood that the > struggle for the liberation of the oppressed nationalities would inevitably > intensify the crisis of the capitalist world. > > > > The sixth congress of the international communist movement of 1928 > instructed the communist parties of the world to unite the working class in > their struggle against imperialism and at the same time creating conducive > environment for the building of socialism. > > > > They were instructed to oppose national oppression, fight for national > equality and the self determination of the oppressed nations and fully > support the struggle of the national liberation movements against > colonialism and imperialism. > > > > The plenary session of the sixth congress of the international communist > movement characterised our own specific South African situation as > colonialism of a special type. It instructed the communist party of South > Africa to adopt the slogan for the creation of an independent native South > African republic with full equal rights for all races. > > > > It is from this context therefore that in our pursuit to our struggle for > a future socialist South Africa, we apply the correct scientific analysis > of the objective realities of our historical period. > > > > In our own instance, the party therefore is duty bound to be part of the > liberation movement in our struggle to eradicate the legacy of colonialism > of a special type. > > > > Therefore in our own contemporary epoch of our transition from apartheid > colonialism of a special type to a national democratic society, our > national democratic revolution becomes our highest form of struggle. The > transfer of socio economic power from the minority to the African people > who constitute the majority of the population becomes our immediate > programme. > > > > Our understanding is that our national democratic revolution headed by the > ANC is a minimum programme of the party towards the attainment of the > objectives of our socialist future, whilst socialism itself is the maximum > programme for the attainment of the future of humanity, which is the > communist society. > > > > Therefore the leading role of the working class in the current stage of > our transition, constitute a vanguard of our struggle for the victory of > our national democratic revolution. > > > > The participation of the communist party in our struggle for the > reconstruction of a new society is an essential step in our forward march > to the future socialist society. > > > > The communist party cannot be a faction in the structures of the ANC but a > vanguard leader in our overall struggle for the victory of our national > democratic revolution. > > > > Members of the communist party must occupy the forefront trenches of our > struggle for liberation as genuine members of the ANC. > > > > The question whether the party must contest elections or not is not about > our feelings or our opportunistic selfish interest in the movement as a > whole, but about the strategic objectives of the struggles of the working > class for political power. > > > > It will be dangerous for the party to isolate itself in the current epoch > of the most hostile world dominated by forces of imperialism. > > > > The communist party still has an important role to play in ensuring that > our people attain the complete victory of the struggle of our national > democratic revolution. Therefore we must not allow those who want to turn > our party into a wagon to carry their selfish interest at the expense of > the struggle of the working class. > > > > Members of the communist party must participate in the internal processes > of the movement in their individual right as genuine members of the ANC. We > need to guard against those who want to be more revolutionary than others > only when they are not occupying positions of responsibility in the > movement. > > > > Any endeavour to bring the debate about the party and state power by those > who lost during the process of nomination of candidates for the coming > elections will be tantamount to counter revolution. The party cannot be a > material force to negotiate for positions in the national liberation > movement and our democratic state in general. > > > > The immediate role of the party as the vanguard leader of the struggles of > the working class is to strengthen the ANC as a revolutionary mass movement > for change. The ANC is the only hope for the aspirations and wishes of the > majority of the people of our country. > > > > The ANC is not just a nationalist movement, but a revolutionary > nationalist movement. This is reflected in its posture of a mass character > representing all other classes and sections of our society. The ANC is the > centre of the world-wide struggle against imperialism and the legacy of > colonialism. > > > > Our struggle for the building of a national democratic society is still an > inseparable part of the world wide struggle against imperialism. > > > > We need therefore appreciate the contribution of the party to the common > struggle of our people to build a non racial, non sexist, democratic and > prosperous society. > > > > The struggle against the legacy of national oppression and class > exploitation are not contradictory. Therefore the role of the party is to > consolidate the unity of our revolutionary alliance to meet the objectives > of our national democratic revolution. > > > > It is on this basis that the working class across the country should work > hard in ensuring that the ANC gets an overwhelming majority in the > forthcoming local government elections. The eyes of world imperialism are > here to reverse the gains of our revolution. > > > > > > • Phatse Justice Piitso is a former provincial secretary of the SACP > and writes in his personal capacity > > > > > > *From: > http://tnaepaper.co.za/DRIVE/main%20edition/17062016/epaperpdf/20.pdf > <http://tnaepaper.co.za/DRIVE/main%20edition/17062016/epaperpdf/20.pdf>* > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus > signature database 13661 (20160617) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > -- > -- > You are subscribed. 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