Umsebenzi May 2000
Contents
Deepen the unity and power of the working class
CHRIS HANI
We will never allow Chris Hani to die
LETTERS AND COMMENTS
SACP NEWS
SACP Central Committee Statement
SACP calls for defence
Racism, class, gender and poverty in SA media
Prepare for the Strategy Conference
LABOUR BEAT
Fighting asbestosis and Cape PLC
Neo-liberalism comes to Wits University
Public service workers committed to service delivery
NEHAWU Statement on the 2000/2001 Negotiations
Labour court allows discrimination - pregnant women
Maternity Benefits in South Africa
COMMUNITY STRUGGLES
Durban - Fighting evictions & for decent housing
Mobilisation against high price of AIDS medicines
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Workers of the World Unite
Canada - Workers' Initiative
Iraq - Repression of Communist in
Cuba - Medical school for poor students worldwide
20 million Workers opposes Privatisation
Solidarity for Mozambique
May Day inEast Timor
REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY
Celebrating the Communist Manifesto
The history of International Women's Day
May Day 2000
Qina msebenzi, uzonqoba!
Deepen the unity and power of the working class!
May Day 2000 takes place in the wake of continued job losses. It also takes place
against the background of unprecedented mass mobilisation and action by the workers to
defend their jobs and to focus the attention of the country on the urgency to stem
retrenchments and job creation.
Transforming the economy in favour of the black working class
The South African siege economy of the apartheid order needs to be restructured in
order to be set on a growth and developmental path that will benefit the majority of our
people. But the brunt of the restructuring of the economy has been borne only by the
working class. It is neither desirable nor inevitable that it is only the working class
that should shoulder the burden of the restructuring of our economy.
The working class has been subjected to widespread retrenchments, casualisation and
effects of ideologically driven outsourcing, based on notions of core and non-core
business. Job losses weaken the economic and political capacity of the working class. This
state of affairs is leading to a highly undesirable outcome, whereby the African worker in
particular seems to be set to become the least beneficiary of our transition to democracy.
This is because of the reality of the relationship between the legacy of national
oppression and class exploitation underpinned by gender inequalities.
On a broader political scale this means that we are indeed faced with a very real
danger that the beneficiaries of our democracy will only be only a small black elite and
Afrikaner capital. A democracy consolidated on the platform of such serious blows to the
working class can only be a deformed democracy, likely to be unsustainable unless premised
on economic restructuring that primarily benefits the working class and the poor.
The SACP is of the view that the continued crisis of unemployment is the single most
important contributor to deepening poverty in sections of our society. This requires a
serious re-look at our economic policies, and pose anew the question of a growth and
development path for our country. In particular we need to look at the role of
mobilisation of domestic capital both in the hands of the state and the private sector.
The danger of continued job losses and retrenchments is that it can damage our economy
for a long time to come. Our view as the SACP is that an economy is not about factors or
things, but it is essentially about human beings. One more retrenchment or job loss is
already too much. That is why we have taken a decision and have actually joined organised
workers in their struggles against job losses and for job creation. Our perspective is
that we cannot talk about job creation without paying particular attention to job
retention.
We want a transformed and job-creating economy led by an active
state
We need an active state intervening in the economy. The state can and does create jobs.
Public works programmes, the development and implementation of a government led industrial
strategy practical examples of what the state can do.
Central to economic growth is a review of the government's economic policy so as to
boost public investments and savings and provide for a basic income grant for the
unemployed.
More attention needs to be paid to the promotion of co-operative and collective
economic ventures. Poor peasants and small producers can then direct the economy at a
local level. Banks and other financial institutions should be required to grant favourable
bank rates to loans from co-operatives.
Mass struggle and mobilisation is the key
The struggle against job losses is a struggle against poverty. The struggle of the
working class is therefore one and the same struggle as that of the rural and urban poor -
a struggle for a better life for all.
It is important that the working class extends these struggles beyond just defending
jobs.
These struggles are a basis for consolidating working class power throughout South
African society.
Only a socialist South Africa will fully address unemployment, lack of housing and
other needs of society. Without the planned, rational, equitable and sustainable use of
our country's resources, the survival of our people is at risk. It is a socialist
democracy and not the casino economy of capitalism that can fully address poverty and
recurring job losses.
Build and join the South African Communist Party
The SACP is the leading political force of the South African working class.
The SACP fights for socialism and aims to build a communist society in which there will
be no more exploitation.
The SACP calls on workers and the poor to build and join residential, industrial and
work-place branches and units of the Communist Party. It is organised workers and the poor
that have the collective numbers, strategic economic location, and the revolutionary
organisational traditions to fundamentally transform our country. Workers need a strong
SACP and the SACP needs revolutionary workers to fight for socialism. Therefore workers
must join and build the SACP.
Put people before profits!
Build people's power!
Build Socialism Now!
Masigquggquzele
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We will never allow Chris Hani to die
The week from 07 April to 15 April 2000 marked the 7th anniversary of the
cowardly murder of the late General Secretary of the SACP, Comrade Chris Hani. Tens of
thousands of supporters and members of the SACP held more than 20 events in all provinces
to remember Hani.
| The main event was held at Lulekani Stadium, Phalaborwa, Northern Province. The SACP General Secretary, Blade Nzimande, COSATU president and SACP Central Committee member, Willie Madisha and the premier of the Northern Province, Ngoako Ramathlodi, addressed this event. The event was also attended by Chief Maswanganyi from Giyani, senior national leaders of POPCRU (POPCRU General Secretary and Vice President) and ANC regional leaders. In his keynote speech, Blade Nzimande said "We must never The event was also a powerful celebration of progressive people's culture with |
Motions were tabled in the national and Northern Province provincial parliaments to
commemorate Chris Hani. The Gauteng government honoured Chris Hani by launching a Chris
Hani Housing project in the East Rand - the project built 1700 houses and is continuing.
On 12 April, Gauteng workers paid a fitting tribute to Chris Hani with their march against
job losses and for job creation.
A racist farmer owning the Bosfontein farm prevented the Rustenburg SACP district from
holding a commemoration rally.
We must meet our current challenges and build the SACP
This year's commemoration came at a time when the working class movement is fighting
job losses and when the ANC-led Alliance is focusing on job creation and the eradication
of poverty.
Indeed, Chris was a fighter against job losses and poverty. He fought for socialism and
people's power. For him socialism was not big words or concepts. In his own words,
"Socialism is not about big concepts and heavy theory. Socialism is about decent
shelter for those who are homeless. It is about water for those who have no safe drinking
water. It is about health care, it is about a life of dignity for the old. It is about
overcoming the huge divide between urban and rural areas. It is about education for all
our people. Socialism is about rolling back the tyranny of the market. As long as the
economy is dominated by an un-elected, privileged few, the case for socialism will
exist." Born in rural poverty, Chris Hani never forgot his roots. He was a leader who
listened to the homeless, the jobless, the landless, to women no less than men.
As we fight against poverty and job losses as a basis for strengthening our democracy,
let us never forget the ideals for which Chris Hani lived and died. The party of Chris
Hani says - We support the COSATU campaign against job losses and for job creation. The
party of workers and the poor says - Job losses contribute to poverty, misery and
deepening inequalities.
The party of socialism says - Stop job losses and crush poverty.
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