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Manuel the discussion about nationalization in South has been going on for at
least the last 50 years, the freedom charter clearly calls for the collective
ownership of the means of production and forms a clear basis for working class
concrete demands, but rather how to get these demands met. I agree it is
important to discuss how the nationalization of industries should work, but I
am responding in a specifically South African context, in which Malema demands
are little other then talking points.
What's important here is not 'nationalization' per say, but rather the ANCYL.
Firstly I might not have been as clear in pointing out, the demand for
nationalization is not a serious one, rather a talking point. Secondly given
the nature of the ANC, I am of the view that as Marxists we should abandon the
party as a vehicle for progressive change in South Africa. The people calling
for nationalization within the ANC in the case of Malema are not in fact really
on the left or Marxists in any sense, they might disguise their agenda in
leftist rhetoric but represent the most reactionary wing of the ANC which mix
Stalinist organizational principles with a firm commitment to self-enrichment
and capitalism. I am not arguing that we should not call for nationalization
and engage in a discussion around it, rather that we should not support the
ANCYL in its specific call, firstly because it is not serious and secondly that
it is in fact a reactionary and authoritarian organisation, which forms a
dangerous faction within the ruling party. My belief is that in order to place
serious demands for nationalization or any other progressive economic demands
in fact, a organisation capable of challenging the hegemony of the ANC is
needed.
Sectarianism is rather a strange beast in South Africa, within the country the
real split on the left occurred between the ANC aligned Communist Party which
was firmly Stalinist in orientation and committed essentially to a class rather
then race based politics and the black consciousnesses and Pan Africanist
movements which were committed to race as an integral ideological aspect of the
party. Both Black Consciousness and Pan Africanist parties are no longer
significant political forces in post-Apartheid South Africa. The consequences
have been that only leftist political party with any political support is the
South African Communist Party, which is still firmly aligned to the ANC and has
long ceased to be firmly committed to establishing Socialism in South Africa at
the top levels. The unions remain embedded within the framework of the ruling
alliance, although they are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with their
position, which is good news. Social movements based on struggles for land,
housing and employment (which is a big issue in South Africa with an unofficial
unemployment rate of over 40%) are so far the most militant and popular
organisations on the left outside the ANC.
What's important in South Africa is to support and link social movements to
help create a new mass movement strong enough to challenge the power of the ANC
and to attempt to get the unions to break from the ruling Tripartite Alliance.
I agree that firm demands need to be made and engaging in discussions about
nationalization are important, both are occurring within popular struggle in
South Africa. What is missing is not a list of demands, which in the context of
South Africa can either take the form of the Freedom Charter, which
specifically calls for the collective ownership of resources and the means of
production in South Africa and forms the basis of our Constitution, which
guarantees the right to education, healthcare and housing among other things.
The discussions which are occurring in South Africa are not so much based on
what we want, the poor in reality know what they are lacking and what they
want, we currently have an unemployment rate of over 40%, the highest
inequality GINI rating in the world and millions living shanty towns. Popular
struggles have mostly been focused on how to bring the political class under
control and force them to keep their promises, they are still in principle
committed to the freedom charter. A shift from this to creating an alternate
mass movement should be the goal of Marxists in South Africa, capable of
threatening the hegemony of the ANC.
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