Issue 14, Vol 9:10 august 2012 In this issue:
Sopranos of the Turners: Mr De Klerk and the crew Sopranos of the Turners: Mr De Klerk and the crew By Mawethu Rune Mr De Klerk on 25 July 2012 addressed a Conference on National Policy that is apparently at cross roads. His main argument was that opportunistic SACP was erroneously prompting ANC Policy discussions on second phase of single, seamless transition in undoing his legacy and creating non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, united and prosperous South Africa to be divisive and directed at white males and he proposed National Development Plan: Vision 2030 as option to be considered. While this ordinary would have prompted serious response from broader section of congress movement but some sections loud imperceptibility was telling. This went to great extent in exposing that while they make hullabaloo about status on social network, when ANC and its policies are under attack their omission amounts to abetting and clubbing whomever but Zuma led ANC and its administration. This deliberate failure to distinguish between primary and secondary contradiction for political expediency is not only ideological foolish but down right reactionary. Back to Your Majesty De Klerk while it would be easier option to remind all sundry that whether how much we may wish but we cannot rewrite history and collectively we must never repeat our heinous history which we have Mr De Klerk to thank. And therefore a lecture on economic policy from a person at modest a former illegitimate president a racist tyrant and at worst callous mass slaying whom has no standing in democratic society. One could have easily dismissed Mr De Klerk on basis that he has no moral ground to speak about economy to benefit all wherein he presided over arguable most idiotic and merciless illegitimate government. Which oppressed and alienated majority of the country people on basis of their skin colour but non - there less still handed over bankrupt government, when guns and bombs could not stop winds of change from democratic forces. Surely such person has no integrity to suggest what economic policies are there best for the country 18 years later. The only problem is that this correct yet easy way out would have therefore missed opportunity to engage nonsensical content argument of Mr De Klerk. Just to demonstrate emptiness of his argument I will deliberately and purposefully extensively quote another white male, Joe Slovo on his 1988 pamphlet entitled "The South African Working Class and the National Democratic Revolution" just to demonstrate that white males a not homogeneous entity and that Mr De Klerk argument is not motivated per se by colour of his skin but dominantly his class interest. Whether or not Mr De Klerk has overcome his backward doctrine of separate development between whites and blacks and I guess separate dwelling, jury is still out. While it must be congratulated the growth on Mr De Klerk conscious in that he appears to be liberated from his own prejudice and can atleast afford to leave in one space with fellow black South Africans. However Mr De Klerk cannot hide motivation for this growth in his document he goes to town in vain trying to convince his audience in that NDR is targeting white males. According to him any attempt to temper with property relations is divisive and in contradiction with reconciliation program. He wants us to believe that economy is dominion of white males and ANC must not dare venture into this terrain, otherwise the country is doomed. While searching for responses Joe Slovo another white male anticipates De Klerk unfortunate writings and writes "however, when it comes to the behaviour pattern of class entities, experience has shown that, in general, they are motivated primarily by a desire to protect their economic interests". The national democratic revolution - not so according to "saint" or De Klerk, it's a struggle for the whole oppressed in resolving three interrelated struggles of national, gender and class struggle. NDR seek to establish non - racial, non - sexist, democratic, united and prosperous South Africa. It appreciates that dominant contradiction of the epoch is national domination but fundamental struggle is class domination. While women are triple oppressed on basis that they are black, secondly women and above all working class. Mr De Klerk does not at any moment refer to challenges as correctly identified in NPC Diagnosis Report as historic, systematic, structural, deep seated and informed by our legacy. He selectively quote NPC Diagnosis to suite his selfish agenda, leaving intentionally an impression that ANC led government came in power in 1994 with bag full of these challenges and therefore, only and only ANC and its allies government must be held responsible. Mr De Klerk conveniently makes an unfounded imprint that South Africa is in decline when in fact Diagnosis Report makes reference to global pointers of what constitute countries in decline. Mr De Klerk having made this deliberate error makes fizzy examples and generalisation and wholly fails to elaborate as why he believes South Africa is in decline. For everyone purpose these pointers are: Rising corruption Weakening of state and civil society institutions Poor economic management Skills and capital flight Politics dominated by short-termism, ethnicity or factionalism Lack of maintenance of infrastructure and standards of service. Reference which is ignored by De Klerk but made in Diagnosis Report on cross cutting issues is that "In assessing our country's progress we need to start earlier than 1994. After centuries of colonial conquest, followed by many decades of protest, resistance and brutal repression, our country negotiated its way to full democracy, and laid the foundations for a non-racial, non-sexist state. In so doing we defied almost all commentators and analysts and have offered the world a model of how deeply divided societies can move forward". Part of the report which is intentionally ignored by Mr De Klerk makes mentions that while we are confronted with systemic challenges however uneven progress as compared to decline has been registered. It acknowledges that "since 1994, significant progress has been made towards making South Africa a more just and inclusive society. Access to primary and secondary education has been expanded to include almost the entire age cohort. A reception year has been introduced. Ten million people have been accommodated in formal housing. Primary healthcare has been expanded. Access to electricity and water has been significantly expanded. Enrolment in higher education has almost doubled and, in terms of its race and gender demographics, is more representative of our nation". While it must be acknowledged that some of policy choices adopted by our government post 1994 like GEAR reinforced the over - reliance on export orientated consumption economy, which glued a growth path that reproduced inequality, poverty and unemployment. This largely benefited monopoly capital which by large is white male and intractably linked apartheid domination but even by De Klerk standards one cannot fail in recognition that progress albeit slow has been made. This is why it is absurd that while exist areas of refinement and alignment but exist no substantial basis for Mr De Klerk to create a Chinese wall between momentary task of NDR which as contained in the Second Phase document of the ANC and National Development Plan; Vision for 2030, which is comprehensively quoted as base document for ANC second phase document. This is because the rallying theme of Diagnosis report and 2030 Developmental Plan is as espoused in ANC Policy Document is that there must be radical change into getting economy employing more people and majority of South African being active with claim in that country economy. What could be greatest danger is to allow the current trend wherein, yes few capitalist white males own the greater wealth of the country economy with majority loitering in poverty. The NPC correctly warns us that "political change brings no guarantee of social, economic or indeed political progress." Therefore it true that South Africans are not to eat change of guard but want a radical change that integrates them into benefiting from economy of their country. One doubts very much whether Mr De Klerk has even bothered to read the 2030 Developmental Plan by NPC considering that all his selective quotations are not based on 2030 Vision Plan but conveniently selects from NPC diagnosis report, yet he refers to the latter as the former. On the "Rooi - gevaar" against SACP, this is an old trick which progressive sectors of society have always rejected as contributions of the Party are decorated in history that Party makes even today. However these forces who stand opposed to ideological struggles of SACP appreciates that alliance of the ANC, SACP and COSATU constitute majoritarian character in which our democracy is founded and only way to weaken this character is to weaken the very same alliance. But SACP has never hidden its interest in alliance, AGAIN Joe Slovo apparently targeted white male writes "the SACP's involvement in such an alliance is not, as our left-wing critics allege, a form of ‘tailism' or ‘populism'. Nor, as our right-wing detractors would have it, is it an opportunistic ploy to camouflage our so-called ‘hidden agenda' and to use the ANC merely as a stepping stone to socialism. We have never made a secret of our belief that the shortest route to socialism is via a democratic state. But, as already mentioned, the SACP takes part in the alliance for yet another extremely cogent reason; our belief that the elimination of national domination (which is the prime objective of the Alliance) is, at the same time, the most immediate class concern of our proletariat" Mr De Klerk ought to appreciate as borrowed from white Slovo again that "It is therefore impossible to imagine any real form of national liberation which does not, at the same time, involve a fundamental rearrangement of the ownership and distribution of wealth" Therefore as many in Mr De Klerk crew have tried no amount repackaging white fears and dishing misinformation and lies in attempt to pit weaken ANC and pit it against SACP or NDR against NPC Developmental Plan is going to postpones imminent radical change in the interest of the whole and yes coupled with reversing white male dominance on economy as apartheid capitalism was based on this doctrine. Mawethu Rune is the YCLSA National Deputy Chairperson Sent from my iPad -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
