CLOSING ADDRESS BY POPCRU PRESIDENT,CDE ZIZAMELE CEBEKHULU ON THE OCCASION OF
THE POPCRU NATIONAL POLITICAL SCHOOL ON THE 29th JULY 2010 AT PROTEA
HOTEL,CENTURION
Programme Director
POPCRU Deputy President
POPCRU General Secretary
AllianceLeadership
SACP Members
POPCRU National Extended Executive Members
Distinguished Guests
Academia, who shared insight with us
COSATU and All Affiliates
DITSELA Representatives
Officials from POPCRU
Comrades
Worker Education Activists
Ladies and Gentlemen
Protocol observed
Comrades
In the last days since the start of our historic National Political School it
has emerged strongly that “there are two ways to approach the working class
struggle; our struggle can be shown theoretically and it can also be fought
practically”, and our role as POPCRU Life-long learners is to ensure that we
are
able to balance the two and forge forward with a struggle to “Consolidate
Politics of Theory to Advance Working Class Revolution within the Criminal
Justice” as our theme entailed.
We were addressed on many topics, debated extensively and we know that we might
forget some and I adjure all delegates to continue to STUDY!!-as a necessary
quality to cultivate a new POPCRU Cadre character!
· A tenacious fighting spirit and high levels of discipline!
· A Marxist-Leninist World outlook!
· A Revolutionary outlook on life in general!
· Devotion to progressive disciplines!
· A Faith in the strength of the Collective Leadership; the masses!
Comrades
In the execution of our revolutionary tasks let’s take in consideration of what
was said in particular by the ANC Secretary General, Cde Gwede Mantashe and
COSATU General Secretary ,who made an emphasize on a need to raise our Trade
Union Consciousness and Class Consciousness for a Developmental State, because
we cannot remain neutral in a class divided society. The current conditions of
living in the society in general and on the workplaces in particular, vividly
portrays a picture that we must fight the scourge of exploitation of workers,
and other related burdens such as the rising food prices, electricity, land and
all related commodities.
As POPCRU, a Developmental State simply implies a due respect for principles
amongst others;
· Rule of Law;
· Separation of powers of the Legislative, Judicial and Executive powers
of the state;
· Respect for Human Rights etc.
The current public service salary increase reaffirms the state on inequalities
we face on daily basis. We continue to live in a highly divided society in
which
capitalist greed, crass materialism and corruption is rife. It is unfortunate
that the government is not up to speed with the reality.
We wish to reaffirm our stance on the current public service negotiation in
support of our demands for 8, 6% and related demands and let’s go and mobilize
our members for action not withstanding a fact that we are organizing in a
sector deemed essential services yet the salaries are not consumerate with that
fact, and that should not steal our class consciousness for action indeed.
Comrades
Our organization(s) must continue to sharpen our Marxist-Leninist tools of
analysis and their applications on any challenges we face daily within this
sector in particular and the Working Class Movements in general. Perhaps, it
relevant to reiterate that Marxism-Leninism is the science of revolution,
encompassing developments in philosophy, political economy, and scientific
socialism. It is the theory and tactics of the proletariat revolution in
general, the tactics and theory of the dictatorship of the proletarian in
general.
As Stalin has said “Marxism-Leninism is not a dogma but a guide to action. What
this entail is that Marxism-Leninism is basically the synthesis and summation
of
the historic experience of the revolutionary struggles of working class and
oppressed people against capitalism and imperialism for more than 160 years,
and
it is first and foremost a weapon to be used as a weapon for emancipation,
liberation and the building of a new world”.
Yes, it is true that there are no born leaders but leadership are borne out
and/or are shaped by the material conditions in which they are found. Perhaps,
we must explore more on dialectical materialism theory as our premise in our
organizational work.
Comrades
Let’s continued to be inspired by pioneers of critical thinking such as Karl
Marx, Lenin, Paul Freire and many countless others you know to re-construction
our society and change it to benefit mankind and not few bourgeoisie. Our
struggle is informed by a total move towards a social emancipation of the
working class in general and the total abolition of exploitation of man by
another man.
Again we must revisit our basics in which we said building of people’s organs
of
power is about strengthening our workplaces, locals, shop steward councils in
particular and street committees and Alliance Partners Forums, Community
Policing Forums in general premised on our creative tradition of “Each One;
Teach One”, and power will be relative if when we speak about power an
emphasize
is not made on self-assertion. But the weakness of this way of approaching
power
includes, amongst other things, the ambivalence of the word “self” in
self-empowerment.
It can shift away from collective self-empowerment, towards the self, as “I”.
We can see this in the devaluation of certain Before Christ [BC] themes in our
country at present, where self-assertion becomes self-enrichment.
Indeed, we reaffirmed that “without revolutionary theory, there can be no real
revolutionary movements” as Lenin said.
Comrades
Let’s take this opportunity to extend our acknowledgement to POPCRU Officials
and all related Task Teams that spend many hours in meetings shaping what
transpired to be a historic milestone within our organization, an epoch-making
task amongst all National and Provincial Leadership, the Federation, and of
course within the Working Class Movements in general.
In conclusion, on a point of emphasis, Lenin said “revolutionary theory is not
a
dogma, that is assumes final shape only in close connection with the practical
activity of a truly mass and truly revolutionary movement”; for theory must
serve practice, for theory must answer the questions raised by practice, for it
to tested by practical results”.
And perhaps, it becomes relevant to further reiterate our unqualified
acknowledgement to all presenters, facilitators and all intellentsia that has
made this moment, our moment a marvelous one.
And let’s take these lessons as our food for thought!
May we all disperse in peace and arrive alive
The National Political School is officially closed.
Amandla!
I thank you!
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