Dear Comrades
The continued debates about the state of the party is an indication
primarily of the prevalent state of analysis paralysis characterised by high
degree of patronage, diminished conviction on principled acts, rooted
factionalism, egocentrism and personality cults consequently lost meaning
of and for purpose of existence. The PAC is at the tailing behind as a
result of prevalent mayhem and by design! Above all any political line
manifest itself through personalities hence we speak of Nkrumah-Sobukwe line
of thought, Marxism, Stalinilism, Maoism etc.
Leadership question! Entails and refers to what? Leadership as in the
President or a collective? Post PAC National Convention held at Vista
Mamelodi campus mid 90's, leadership crisis was narrowed to imply and
referred to a President! Not necessarily a leadership collective. There has
been a consistent disregard of leadership as a reference to all levels
within the party as per constitution that is, Provincial and Regional and
Branch leadership, commonly leadership was narrowed to President and by
coincidence some will extent the description to NEC.
Only scoundrel finds solace and sanity in patronage, today the PAC is in its
worst and weakest organisational form simply because comrades applauded and
close ranks with anyone who is opposed to leadership either the President
and National Executive Council (NEC) thus unprincipled and factionalist
interests ranked higher to the programmes and interests of the party. The
very reason that PAC is reduced to the periphery is simply because in the
state of mayhem, space is created for scoundrels conniving and deceitful
craftsmanship tactics to prevail. Such a tendency is an indicator of
ideological degeneration and absence of political programme since comrades
who are capable to comprehend the state of affairs in the country and Africa
as a whole, that is, the stranglehold capital imperialism is entrenching
through installing neo-colonial system across the entire continent will have
less time on petty politics and focus all the energy and effort to build an
organisation and execution of political programmes so as to strengthen the
fighting capacity of the people to reclaim state apparatus as an instrument
to advance the revolution.
Indeed many gatherings had been held post Qwaqwa and Alice congresses but
none delivered anything significant that is no results, what has
characterised activities recently is erratic and spontaneous actions driven
by frustrations, conflicting interests, ego and weak organisation however
all efforts lacked outputs and outcomes. Letlapa prevails as a result of
weak and poor organisation, compounded by rhetoric and factional interests.
Many claim they seek to reorganise and rebuild the PAC, but none had
delivered the results, comrades had turned a blind eye upon acts which are
and continues to be a liability for the party because none of us want to
spoil friendly relations enjoyed.
Many had joined condemnation of trade union leaders who used and continues
to use workers to secure shares and fill their pockets, such condemnation is
fully supported. The same trade union federation leadership within NACTU
that has opposed all efforts to re-organise and rebuild NACTU simultaneously
bringing NACTU to fully and publicly embrace PAC and to advance PAC policies
and programmes in the past fifteen years, this leadership of NACTU and some
affiliates choose an apolitical positions and no confrontation with the
dominant political system hoping to be appointed either as ambassadors or
into key positions in the government departments because their claim that
NACTU is politically independent. Committed PAC activists had seen constant
attacks for the past years and removed from all NACTU Affiliates. In BCAWU,
young PAC activists who raises political questions had never spent more than
a year in BCAWU . Interestingly NACTU and most affiliates are led by PAC
members!
Clarification of ideological and political theoretical orientation of the
party is necessary since party political programme are shaped and influenced
by its ideological and political theoretical orientation, we understood PAC
being committed to a Socialist Democracy which implies application of
socialism as a political economic intervention whereat there is public
ownership of the means of production to drive the industrialisation and
socio-economic development policy approach as the only viable and
sustainable means to eradicate poverty, unemployment and inequality whilst
appreciating that such interventions should be cognisant to the African
people's material and psychological conditions, democratic in character for
the legitimacy of the state and the government is premised on regular
people's participation in shaping their own destiny by interacting and
influencing policies contrary to a capitalist model of democracy whereat a
few is entrusted to lead the country are influenced by a few who control the
means of production. Thus PAC is anti-capitalism and anti-authoritarian
systems of governance.
Indeed the party cannot be re-organised by ad-hoc and casual means, fulltime
professional party cadres is one of the necessary interventions for the
re-organisation of the party from regional and national structures.
Lastly to re-build the PAC we must break with the past modes of handling
internal party disagreements and conflicts. Some of us are convinced that a
revolutionary party prevails on the basis of revolutionary programme and
organisational discipline.
Shango Lasho!
Nkrumah
-----Original Message-----
From: payco@googlegroups.com [mailto:payco@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of
Hulisani Mmbara
Sent: 07 April 2012 03:13 PM
To: PAYCO GOOGLE GROUP PAYCO GOOGLE GROUP
Subject: [PAYCO] Thoughts on the leadership challenge in the party
Dear Comrades,
Many efforts have been made to reposition the PAC, especially dealing with
the leadership question. One such effort is the PAC Indaba held in Orlando
yesterday, which also doubled as the 53rd Anniversary celebrations of the
formation of the party. Tremendous work has been done and continues. In this
regard, efforts of party members should be commended.
As we go about resolving the leadership crisis in the party, we must also
ask the fundamental question which is at the heart of regression in the
party, that is the lack of ideological clarity, strategy, vision and a
programme of action. What is to be done after removing what we both believe
is the stumbling block at this juncture? Is the current stumbling block the
only cause of regression in the party?
I would venture to say there are many causes of regression in the party
which is why the party has been in this sorry state of affairs for decades.
But post 1994 the challenges became even greater with the advent of
parliament and many government employment opportunities which came with the
promise of clover and comfort which many within the ranks of the liberation
movement were deprived for decades. This promise also included the hope for
many to spend time with friends, family and loved ones in 'peace' without
being hounded by forces of repression. This era, even though heralded as
ushering in freedom, also introduced a break with the noble culture of
service and sacrifice within the ranks of the liberation movement. For a
party like ours which was falling behind events, this period was bound to
spell more doom. The fact that the party was tailing behind others was worse
enough to create more chaos in the party hence the vicious circle we find
ourselves in. Instead of leadership taking a calm posture to chart a
wayforward, positioning the party to play a leading role and direct the
liberation struggle, the tailing game won the day and remain the winner
to-date.
We need to pause and stop tailing behind and reacting to ANC agenda. We will
not be victors in the ANC agenda. What is our agenda as a party at this
historical epoch? We must set our own terms to pave the path to our
ideological destiny. The stage set by the ANC will never take us there. What
do we plan to do for the people of Azania, our oppressed women, the toiling
workers, the poor masses of our land, Africa and the rest of the oppressed
world? What is our vision? Where do we want to take our people? How do we
want to create our version of a just society - an africanist socialist
democracy? How do we want to free our people from landlessness, hunger,
poverty, capitalist exploitation, cultural subjugation, illiteracy and
ignorance? These are the questions which must seize our moments.
The ANC is going and it will go, no doubt about. Very few governments last
more than 50 years, for example. Those than do, engage in robust cultural
revolution and political education to highten the consciousness of the
people. The question is who will finally bring down the ANC and take Azania
forward? Will it be the PAC? Even if the PAC takes over, how long will that
last? Power can only be consolidated and maintained when there is a forward
looking dynamic programme under the stewardship of a disciplined
revolutionary leadership. Selflessness and commitment to the people is key
in this regard. If we don't firmly restore a culture of selfless leadership
what will become of the africanist socialist democratic state and its
ideals? Will we leave up to this noble task as a party?
Needless to say, we need selflessness and sacrifice first to lead our people
to freedom before we can dream of taking charge and we need same to maintain
the africanist socialist democratic state. There is no struggle anywhere in
history which was won without sacrifice on the part of leadership. I'm yet
to see a struggle won without leadership sacrifices. If truth be told there
will never be such. We can obfuscate and romanticize about this but nothing
beats the truth.
Are we selfless? Are we prepared to die, to go to prison or leave our
families for the sake of our people? The truth is that this is the price we
will have to pay. There are no other road for a genuine leadership of people
struggles. How long will we procrastinate and obfuscate? Do we still live by
the motto of serve, suffer and sacrifice? Too often I have heard comrades
whispering that the triple S does not work anymore. Are we prepared to
recommit to this noble values of our movement?
The people will carry-on with their struggles daily as we see in many poor
communities, especially squatter camps, work floors and institutions of
higher learning, but without leadership these struggles can never be
victorious. Even if the people banish the rulers from power without
leadership such gains cannot be sustained. I believe we all know this. But
are we prepared to pay the price? I don't think so. This is not the
conversation I hear amongst comrades. Many a time one get a sense that while
comrades are shy to collaborate with the ANC on record, they are
nevertheless not prepared to upset the established. This therefore is tacit
collaboration. Let it be said that IF YOU ARE NOT AGAINST THEM, YOU ARE WITH
THEM.
In this debate, one thing must be acknowledged though...sacrifices have been
made by leaders in the 60's, 70's, 80's and early 90's? Those sacrifices
have delivered the political environment we live in. This milestone is not
minor although not an end. To make this point, people were killed in
genocidal proportions simply for espousing an alternative political order
let alone socio-economic order. This was the order of the day during those
horrible days. Many laid down their lives and fell in combat. The political
environment today is a far cry compared to where we come from (Due to age, i
didn't live under or directly experience the terror of apartheid settler
colonialism. I have read about it and have seen its scars. I'm subjected to
its legacy).
So political 'democracy' is an important milestone. All these were achieved
because sacrifices were made. Leadership was provided to the struggles of
our people. However the struggle has not been taken to its logical
conclusion and the danger with this is that political democracy becomes
hollow and meaningless if it doesn't overturn the power scales in favour of
the people democratic ownership of the means of production and distribution
of wealth, undermining the sacrifices and gains made. So the question is who
must make the sacrifices to take the struggle to its logical conclusion? My
personal view is that those who have made sacrifices in the pre early 90's
epoch will be unlikely to do so again. As generations of warriors, they made
their sacrifices during their times. The next generation in line is a
generation that I'm part of. This generation must fulfill its mission or
betray it. What is it gonna be? Sobukwe and other fallen heroes and heroines
of our struggle are staring this generation on the face saying it is your
turn to take the struggle forward.
As a member of this generation, one has a deep seated urge to take
responsibility. There are only two choices, lead or betray. The tailing game
and the tacit collaboration is part of betrayal. Preparedness to completely
sacrifice, forsake glorified slavery (employment), house bonds, credit cars,
family-time and the niceties of life while our land is ravaged by
landlessness, poverty, hunger and capitalist exploitation will be the real
test of revolutionary leadership. Of course this does not just happen, it
comes as a consequence of standing up for the liberation of the people. Any
leadership whose actions (i'm not talking recklessness and anarchy which
exposes the revolution to damaging attacks by the enemy) doesn't invite
adverse internal and external consequences is not true revolutionary
leadership. I need not remind anyone that freedom and power is not delivered
on a silver plate or as the great Chairman Mao will say "revolution is not a
dinner party". Any leadership which takes a direction short of anything that
invites adverse consequences to itself "is not against them but with them" -
the system.
One should also clarify that the call for leadership is not about the
ceremonials of party leadership elections and occupying positions. It is
about true revolutionary leadership. Sacrifice is inherent in this calibre
of leadership. The leadership question will not be resolved by removing one
president and replace him/her with another. We have been there before. This
approach is dangerously immature and myopic. Experience has shown that the
manner we have gone about dealing with the leadership in the past was
downright wrong. As a result, the replacement president turned out to be
more hopeless that the predecessor. The other pertinent issue is the
question of collective leadership which has been absent in our approach and
expectations. Before we form lobby groups and crown ourselves into positions
whose tasks and commitment we cannot live up to, we must do soul searching
and ask ourselves a simple question... are we ready to die for our people?
This is the ultimate price any committed leadership of the people will be
forced to pay. This we must internalize with the seriousness and passion of
a prayer.
I'm deliberately ignoring the issue of elections (parliamentary and
municipal) because they are not relevant in this discussion. It's beside the
point. The election stage is set by the victors for the victors. We are not
the victors here and therefore have nothing to gain from elections.
The great commander, Sabelo's declaration that the bullet will not be
abandon until the ballot box is secured, is instructive. This declaration is
more profound and insightful than many imagine and comprehend. Unfortunately
it has been reduced to a slogan. From our vintage point, is the ballot box
secured? You cannot secure the ballot box when you are outside state power.
We need a different strategy of dealing with elections and its platforms
instead of being passengers in palaces were we make no decisions...part of
the tailing game and tacit collaboration.
There are many important issues but the theme of this discussion -
selflessness and sacrifice is the more critical because it is about us. It
is about the inner side, the heart and the conscience. If we are to be true
instruments of revolution, that revolution must start inside our hearts. It
is easy to lament the social vices that engulfs our people but another to
take a stand and act against oppression, exploitation and injustice. Let's
talk to ourselves about this. The people are waiting for fearless and
selfless leadership.
Izwelethu! I-Afrika!
Hulisani Mmbara
0825933012
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