Our national democratic revolution has no holy cows

Our revolutionary alliance is the bedrock of the struggles of our people for national liberation. Our unity is a necessary precondition for the success of our national democratic revolution.

Our federation COSATU is undoubtedly an indispensable fortress of the struggles of our people against Imperialism and neo colonial oppression and exploitation. Any attempt to divide this important component of our revolutionary alliance will delay the possibilities of taking forward the struggles of our people to overcome the challenges of poverty, disease and underdevelopment ravaging our society.  

The problems of COSATU are the problems of the ANC and the SACP and therefore our national democratic revolution. The attempts by some of the affiliates of COSATU to resolve the internal organisational problems of the federation in the courts of law is an act contrary to the true traditions and culture of our national liberation movement.

The tendency negates the very same guiding principle of one industry one union that has over the decades of our struggles against apartheid colonialism brought together our diverse unions together. It will indeed be a setback to our commitment to consolidate workers control and also to build a strong shop floor structures at workplace.

The traditions of our revolutionary alliance over the years have been to respect the internal organisational processes and more importantly our fundamental principle of democratic centralism and inner party discipline. This fundamental principle denotes a practice through which members of our revolutionary alliance conform themselves to the collective decisions of the movement.

The collective decisions of our revolutionary alliance are taken on the basis of a scientific analyses of the objective realities in the cause of the development of our revolutionary process. It is through these traditions that we create platforms for a sober, frank and fearless evaluation our work to respond to the ever changing conditions under which we persecute our revolutionary struggles.

The political significance of the principle of democratic centralism and inner party discipline is to build a calibre of a cadre capable of mastering the scientific basis of our revolutionary theory of unity and cohesion. This tradition is the most fundamental arsenal of our struggles that has over the years distinguished our revolutionary alliance from counter revolutionary forces.

This historic culture of our national liberation movement resonates from our high level political consciousness and organisational discipline. Our failure to comprehend this important political theory has the propensity to reverse back the gains of our revolutionary alliance and therefore our national democratic revolution. 

Our revolutionary scientific theory is the only weapon that enable us to define the pace and the direction of our national democratic revolution. At all turning points it lays a solid basis for us to understand the revolutionary programme for transformation and the ultimate cause for development of our society.

The hostile international balance of forces is presenting particular challenges to the struggles of the world working class movement. In our country the post apartheid transitional period is posing serious challenges to the South African working class movement. At the core of the contradictions is the fundamental question of the role of the working class in the current phase of our national democratic revolution.

The prevailing concrete world material conditions require of us to grapple with the correct theoretical grasp of the fundamental question of the relationship between the class and National struggles. Therefore our common perspective on the theory of the South African revolution is a basis for the victory of the struggles of our people. 

The unfolding hostile international and domestic balance of forces demand of us to act decisively in defense of the noble objectives of our national democratic revolution. Counter revolution from both within and outside the ranks of our revolutionary alliance is determined to reverse back the tremendous achievements of our national democratic revolution.

What we need to understand is that the struggles for the liberation of our country from the bondage of imperialism and neo colonialism has no middle road. Is either you work with the low intensity counter revolutionary forces or you join the revolutionary forces for change under the tutelage of our national liberation movement.

A revolutionary situation is the most complex phenomenon. It is a historic rare moment of the passage of power from one class to the other. It has its own subjective and objective contradictions depending on the concrete conditions of a particular historical period.

The main challenge of any revolutionary situation becomes when the subjective contradictions superimpose themselves over objective ideological questions. When the role of an individual in the process of the making of history is elevated at the expense of the collective decisions of the organisation.

Therefore it will not be in the best interest of the unity and cohesion of our movement to apply the principle of democratic centralism and inner party discipline subjectively. Within the ranks of our revolutionary alliance there is an endless list of senior members of our movement, who were over the years subjected to similar disciplinary decisions by the collective leadership of our national liberation movement. 

In the recent times of our living memories, the former acting President of COSATU Cde Peter Malape found himself having to face internal disciplinary processes that led to his expulsion but more importantly accepting the responsibility for having brought the federation into disrepute. The former deputy President of COSATU Joe Nkosi was also subjected to the same processes with its severity. 

These most outstanding and exemplary leaders of our revolutionary movement never attempted to resolve their internal disciplinary processes through the courts of law. They understood very well that to be elected into positions of responsibility is not a virtue but an opportunity to learn. They understood very well that our national democratic revolution has no holy cows. 

The archives of our history books are confirming that many of the former members of our revolutionary alliance who refused to be subjected to the internal disciplinary processes of the organisation, were ultimately proven to have been collaborating with the enemy of our revolution. The holier than thou attitude does not take precedence in the coarse of our struggles for the total liberation of our people.

The leader of the Chinese revolution Chairman Mao would say the following profound words with regard to the significant of the political theory of the proletariat" 

We must purposely train tens of thousands of cadres and leaders versed in Marxism-Leninism, politically far sighted, competent in work, full of spirit of self sacrifice, capable of taking problems on their own and devoted to serving the nation, the cadres and the party. 

It is on these cadres and leaders that the party relies on its links with the membership and the masses. It is on its reliance on their firm leadership that the party can succeed in defeating the enemy.

Such cadres and leaders must be free from selfishness, from individualistic heroism, ostentation, sloth, passivity and sectarian arrogance, and they must be selfless, national and class heroes, such are qualities and style of work demanded by the members,cadres and leaders of our party".

Phatse Justice Piitso is the former Ambassador to the republic of Cuba and the former provincial secretary of the SACP writing this article on his personal capacity.

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter