SACP WESTERN CAPE - PRESS STATEMENT ON THE ACCUMULATION OF WEALTH AT THE EXPENSE OF THE POOR, February 24 2010
Whilst we are seeking to advance and deepen a radical national democratic revolution in a period in which we are, amongst other things witnessing a resurgence of anti-communism and anti-SACP postures, now we can better understand why, as Julius Malema and the club seek to cover up for their tenders with the State. Malema has been inspired by his role models in the Cope, like Mr Smuts Ngonyama who said that he never struggled to be poor, whilst amassing himself with State resources. Malema has been on record saying that he is paid well by the ANC, no one has known then that he was referring to alleged millions of rands he is said to be getting through tenders from struggling and poor municipalities in Limpopo.
Malema should be the one to understand that the Freedom Charter says that the wealth of our country shall be shared amongst the people, not a few connected to government individuals, but to the people as a whole. Clearly one understands why he is always appearing like a wounded young man when he hear anything about communists because he can continue with his wealth empire in an ANC infested with Capitalists. Despite enormous progress we have achieved in this country, there is a reflection of a growing political cancer in society, where people like Malema, hijacks the ANC to advance their personal interests. His greediness amongst other things is undermining the values of solidarity and threatening the heroic legacy of our National Democratic Revolution.
There is no doubt that Malema has taken the work that was left by Mbeki and his associates of using the State resources to capture the ANC to the next level. His actions are to the extreme of Mbekism and Mbeki might feel better relaxed to have produced the likes of Malema who hates communists and COSATU. It is difficult to find any difference between Malema and COPE as they all share hatred of Communists and COSATU and interested in their enrichment.
He has joined the class that seeks to see the National Democratic Revolution given the conservative and capitalist character because it is only through capitalist oriented National Democratic Revolution that people like him can amass themselves with State resources. He has been inspired by the club that says "what is wrong if few blacks become filthy rich" leaving working class and poor locked in poverty.
It is pathetic and unconvincing for Comrades to jump to a defence mechanism and claim that there is no policy that says a person cannot be a President or a leader of a political organisation and have business interests. Conscience of every cadre of a Revolutionary Alliance is supposed to tell him/her that it is counter productive and lack of revolutionary ethics for political leadership that is responsible to change the lives of the most vulnerable masses of our people to play double standards. Political office inside and outside parliament is responsible to play a role that is above personal enrichment.
Therefore politicians cannot be referees and players. Hence one will have to choose whether s/he wants to be involved in business or politics and it cannot be both without being corruption. It is in that context that we support the call made by both YCL and COSATU for everyone in the leadership of our Tripartite Alliance to come up clean and be available to public scrutiny about his/her lifestyle. This is in line with the SACP campaign against corruption.
The left in South Africa is well experienced of the struggle against any form of exploitation and oppression. We are aware of the old and thuggish tactics that Malema is playing. That of blaming "the recent revelation that he profited from government contracts on the leftist leaders in the alliance of the ANC, SACP and COSATU, who fear the youth league will oppose their bids for re-election to the ruling party's National Executive Committee in 2012". Hitler did the same in Germany when he wanted to get a support from the right wing by burning the German Parliament and accused the Communists. Hilter was aware that bourgeoisie and the entire right wing would support any attempt against their strategic enemy which was the Communist Party.
Malema is aware that Nationalisation is one of the key policies of the SACP and the entire left in South Africa. But we do not use Nationalisation in a right wing and populist sense as a mechanism to push a particular individualistic and factionalist agenda. COSATU also is on record supporting and welcoming the debate but never used Nationalisation in order to oust a particular leader and replace it with a particular right wing chauvinistic leader.
The left will never be intimidated by quantity support which cannot be translated into better quality life for all our people. Hitler enjoyed massive support just like any demagogue because he played with the emotions of the German people. He passed the Enabling Act with a sound majority. However he used all those German masses in order to exploit and oppress them. Malema as a right wing chauvinist demagogue like Hitler he makes noise appealing to the emotions of the ordinary poor people in order to advance the agenda to loot the state resources in a very poor province and municipalities in Limpopo. This is the legacy of the previous ANC leadership that was removed in Polokwane conference of the ANC. That tendency has to be fought even if it takes us another 15 years to oust. Our struggle is forever against Capitalist greed.
Statement issued by Khaya Magaxa, SACP Provincial Secretary, February 24 2010
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
