|
Volume 13, No. 15, 17 April 2014 |
|
|
Editorial message
Umsebenzi Online editorial would like to take this opportunity to wish all readers a deserved rest and in particular we wish to greet Christian readers during the period of their most important festival, Easter.
Editor
|
Red Alert Give no quarter to the enemy, whatever its manifestation: Combating Ronnie Kasrils's neurotic demagogy |
|
By Phatse Justice Piitso
This was a group of extraordinary, heroic revolutionaries who defended their newly declared socialist republic from the US-led military invasion during the historic battle of Playa Giron. The battle was significant in that it was the first military defeat of the US superpower in the southern hemisphere.
This revolutionary tour of Africa embracing solidarity and internationalism eventually saw the involvement of thousands of Cuban internationalists in various battles alongside fellow liberation movements from our continent who strove to emancipate themselves from the yoke of colonial domination.
We graciously pay tribute to those many heroic combatants who stood and fell gloriously side by side with the oppressed people of our continent, leaving their heroic remains to fertilise our motherland.
It was the determination of the Cuban internationalists, together with the combined military force of the combatants of our national liberation movement that liberated our people from apartheid's military zone in Southern Africa.
It was during the heroic battle of Cuito Cuanivale that the peoples of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Angola, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and South Africa liberated themselves from racist oppression, white domination and exploitation by the apartheid regime.
During our interaction, the Cuban commander taught me a lesson that dialectical and historical materialism defines that, to be a revolutionary, is not necessarily an inherent or a permanent feature. That is the reason why from time to time, revolutionary movements must subject its members to a rigorous political education classes, irrespective of the positions they hold.
He was emphatic that counter-revolutions always master strength enough to assume the offensive against any revolution. Therefore political education provides the basis to ascertain from time to time whether our membership and leadership is still consistent with the character of our revolution.
I record this episode against the background of the demagogical catchwords from Ronnie Kasrils, our former minister of intelligence and former leader of the ANC and the SACP, calling on our people not to vote for their national liberation movement, the ANC, in the coming national elections.
I must confess that it is deeply painful and grotesque to witness a veteran of his calibre, who constitutes the core of historic leadership of our movement, mounting such a low-intensity counter-revolutionary onslaught against our national democratic revolution.
It is painful to see such a heroic custodian of our glorious flag counted among those who are hell-bent on destroying our national liberation movement. The ANC is the only hope to the struggle of the suffering people of our country and the continent.
Kasrils is the first to understand our revolutionary principle of democratic centralism. This is a principle which is synonymous to the rich history of our struggle, and more importantly the way in which our movement has been expressing itself to the leadership questions.
He knows well that the constitution of the ANC affords every member in good standing an opportunity to select his or her preferred candidate in any of the leadership positions within the echelons of our movement.
He knows well that what is more profound and unique about the constitution of our movement, which make us different from others, is that at the same time, it requires of us to give an unwavering support to those elected into positions of responsibilities irrespective of their earlier preference.
It is therefore unacceptable and indeed an act tantamount to treason for Ronnie Kasrils to use the instincts of his leadership preferences in the movement to decide the fate of the future of our people. There is no one member whose image or stature, as an individual, can be bigger than that of the glorious flag of our national liberation movement.
The people of our country must not be confused by the demagogical catchwords of those who tasted the honey of power. All of our people must swell the unity of our ranks and defeat the enemy by voting for the ANC in the coming general elections.
Phatse Justice Piitso, former ambassador to the Cuba and former provincial secretary of the SACP, writes in his personal capacity. This article was first published in The New Age (17 April 2014)
Just look at Ronnie Kasrils: Not everyone we call a cadre is really a cadre!
By Sediko Rakolote
The 2014 electioneering process should serve as a learning curve to us as the African National Congress that not everyone we call or called a cadre is really a cadre.
We need to move with speed to implement our 53rd National Conference resolution that declared this decade a decade of a cadre, and as such implement the institutionalisation of our Political School.
Whilst digesting the happenings of the past days and months where some people have been campaigning for "Spoilt your ballot" approach during the forthcoming May 7th elections, and some calling for workers affiliated to COSATU unions not to support ANC during elections, I visited the article of Ernesto Che Guevara titled "The Cadres: Backbone of the Revolution" (Sept. 1962, Published: Cuba SocialistaTranscription/Markup). In this article Che provided characteristics that we should use to analyse those we call or are called "Cadres" and to evaluate whether indeed they are.
Are we cadres?
According to Che, a cadre is an individual:
- who has achieved sufficient political development to be able to interpret the extensive directives emanating from the central power, make them his [hers], and convey them as orientation to the masses, a person who at the same time also perceives the signs manifested by the masses of their own desires and their innermost motivations.
- of ideological and administrative discipline, who knows and practices democratic centralism and who knows how to evaluate the existing contradictions in this method and to utilise fully its many facets;
- who knows how to practice the principle of collective discussion and to make decisions on his [her] own and take responsibility in production;
- whose loyalty is tested, and whose physical and moral courage has developed along with his [her] ideological development in such a way that s/he is always willing to confront any conflict and to give his [her] life for the good of the revolution.
- capable of self-analysis, which enables him [her] to make the necessary decisions and to exercise creative initiative in such a manner that it won't conflict with discipline;
- who is creative, a leader of high standing, a technician with a good political level, who by reasoning dialectically can advance his [her] sector of production, or develop the masses from his [hers] position of political leadership;
- has the important mission of seeing to it that the great spirit of the revolution is not dissipated, that it will not become dormant nor let up its rhythm;
- who, as a political leader, should gain the respect of the workers by their actions, and who is absolutely imperative that to him [her] to count on the respect and affection of their companeros, whom they should guide along the vanguard paths.
Overall, there are no better cadres than those elected by the masses in the assemblies that select the exemplary workers.
Let us use correct names when we address each other. Not everyone we call a cadre is really cadre.
As per the call of our General Secretary Cde Blade Nzimande, let us close ranks to protect our beloved Alliance against neo-liberals and their masked agents. Let us unmask them for everybody to see who is against our revolution of moving South Africa forward.
Sediko Rakolote is ANC member Ward 5 Tshwane, Writing in personal capacity
SACP Central Committee letter to The Citizen
To: The Citizen
Attention: The Editor, Mr Steve Motale
Re: The Citizen's editorial (Friday, 11 April 2014)
Dear Mr Motale,
Your editorial "Nzimande scrapes barrel bottom" (11 April 2014) itself scrapes the bottom of the barrel in its very crude understanding of what our General Secretary Dr Blade Nzimande said and meant by "white people's lies". The fact is that in the townships and rural areas throughout the country, where the vast majority of blacks live, the Public Protector's report on Nkandla is has not been manifested the way it has turned out to be mainly among some sections of White people. Like much else in our country, even 20 years into our democracy, we are a very racially polarised society, and Dr Nzimande was merely pointing to how attitudes to Nkandla have just reinforced this. There are also many wild claims being made about President Jacob Zuma's "abuse of state resources" that are not in the Public Protector's Report, and these lies are, unfortunately, coming mainly from one section of our society.
As SACP General Secretary, the first ever non-racial political organisation in this country, Dr Nzimande is a committed non-racialist, and works closely with SACP Deputy General Secretary, comrade Jeremy Cronin, as well as people of all races in the SACP and ANC, and as a government Minister. Of course, there is also a lie in your editorial: The Public Protector, whatever your spin, clearly did not say that the President lied to Parliament!
This is the truth, the other side of the story - audi alteram partem. Your readers deserve to hear it too!
Yours Sincerely
Alex Mashilo
Spokesperson;
Head of Communications
By email
SACP Central Committee letter to The Times
To: The Times
Attention: Editor, Mr Stephen Haw
Re: The Times Editorial, 10 April 2014
Dear Mr Haw,
Your editorial "Zuma's cheerleaders want to turn SA into banana republic" (The Times, 10 April 2014) refers. The SACP has noted the content and spirit of your editorial with grave concern.
The editorial is not only misleading and racially polarising, but is based on a misinterpretation of facts while being out of context about both what our General Secretary Dr Blade Nzimande has said as well as about the character his content. For your reference we attach a copy of our General Secretary's Red Alert: 'ANC Lives, ANC Leads: The poverty and political bankruptcy of RSA opposition and its media cheerleaders', published in our weekly newsletter 'Umsebenzi Online' (Vol. 13, No. 13, 3 April 2014) which clearly captures what he said at the university.
As SACP General Secretary, the first ever non-racial political organisation in this country, Dr Nzimande is a committed non-racialist, and works closely with SACP Deputy General Secretary, comrade Jeremy Cronin, as well as people of all races in the SACP and ANC, and as a government Minister.
You accuse our General Secretary of speaking for black people and taking them for idiots, which accusation is completely baseless. In contrast, it is your editorial that does exactly the same with "self-appointed authority to do so" and, in addition, on a racially condescending undertone. This reinforces our General Secretary's contention about some sections of the media untransformed and continuing to reflect "Amanga Abelungu" as part of their content. This was the officialdom of the apartheid era and must not be left to go on in perpetuity, unchallenged, but must be brought to an end!
Lastly, neither the SACP nor its General Secretary is President Zuma's cheerleader or seeks to turn South Africa into a banana republic as alleged by what clearly appears to be your response - in fact a self-conviction - to what our General Secretary correctly characterised as "the opposition and its media cheerleaders". The SACP is an independent political formation with its own programme and policies. It is on the basis of its independence that the SACP is in an alliance with the ANC based on our shared history of struggle that led to the defeat of apartheid as well as based on our shared perspective of the national democratic revolution to move South Africa forward to a completely non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society in which there are a better life for all. SACP members are, of course, and correctly so, ANC members in their own right. They have the duty in this capacity to advance and defend the policies and programme of the movement. If you accused us of this we would have otherwise pleaded guilty as charged!
We are looking forward to our response published in your paper as it is only fair for the readers to hear the other side of the story.
Yours Sincerely,
Alex Mashilo
Spokesperson,
Head of Communications
By email
