We congratulate the newly elected leadership of the South African Democratic Teachers Union.

I was amongst the most fortunate to be counted in the delegation of the South African Communist Party which attended the recent national congress of the South African democratic Teachers Union. From the deep bottom of my heart i convey my appreciation to the leadership of the party for affording me the opportunity to attend this most historic supreme gathering of the union.

The congress was one of the greatest milestone achievements in the history of the union. It will forever decorate the beautiful chapters of our history books.

What distinguishes it from others is that it took place against the background of events of great historical significance in our country and the whole world. Events that define the shape of the annals of our history in the making.

First and foremost the congress took place three years before the centenary anniversary celebrations of the great October Socialist revolution in the Soviet Union. An earthmoving event that shook the foundations of the world capitalist empire.

Secondly it took place a year before our country and the people celebrate the sixty years anniversary of the adoption of the freedom charter. A document that has become the guiding tool of our struggle for the total liberation of our people.

Thirdly the congress took place twenty four years after the collapse of socialism in the soviet union and eastern Europe. The most painful event that has weaken the world progressive movement.

Fourthly it took place at the time when the people of our country are celebrating twenty years of the achievements of our democratic dispensation. A period that ushered the end and the beginning of our new forms of protracted struggle for socio economic transformation of our society.

Lastly the congress took place against the background of counter revolutionary momentum that seeks to divide our labour federation and our revolutionary alliance led by national liberation movement. The aim is to undermine the achievements of our national democratic revolution.

These forces of counter revolution are opposed to the guiding principles of the communist manifesto which say:

"Communist do not form a separate party opposed to the other working class parties. They have no interests separate and apart from those of the proletariat as a whole. They do not set secretarian principles of their own, by which to shape and to mould the proletariat movement".

At the same time delegates to the congress understood that their highest duty is to defend the unity and cohesion of our revolution. They attended the congress knowing well that the task is to triumph over the adversaries of our national democratic revolution.

The tumultuous mood of unity reverberating at the congress brought back the memories of my early years as one of the generation of the founding fathers of the union. I joined the ranks of the union at the embryonic stage of its formation immediately after completing my Secondary Teachers Diploma at Sekhukhune Collage of Education in the year 1990.

The overwhelming revolutionary mood reverberating through the roof of the presidium, reminded me of the philosophical words of courage from the leader of the world Communist movement Cde Vladimir Lenin when he said"

In carrying its revolutionary tasks, the proletariat is able to draw its own national traditions of struggles, the traditions of its own songs, slogans, symbols and heroes. It fulfilling its leading role the proletariat is able to rally its allies to the bottom of the common cause of its struggle"

The congress was itself a demonstration of the fundamental principle of unity and cohesion. The guiding principle of one union one industry, total workers control and the building of a strong shop floor structures.

I can confirm that the union I belong to, the union that has traversed the most glorious and heroic path of our struggle, is still rooted in the rich traditions and culture of our liberation movement. The traditions and culture that have become synonymous to the struggle of the people of our country.

The congress reaffirmed the historic role and centrality of our liberation movement as the premier leader of our common struggle to build a better society. A historic role that premised the demise of one of the most brutal pariah states in the history of mankind.

The basis of discussions from plenary was informed by the principle of criticism and self criticism. Delegates understood well that contradictions are the one that make us grow and develop.

There was a conducive atmosphere for a sober, robust and fearless debates and determination to give way for a comprehensive appraisal of the weaknesses, strength, and the programme of action of the union into the future.

Congress understood well the most complex political question that unity and cohesion is the cardinal principle of our revolution. That the unity of our revolutionary forces is a guarantee for the success of our national democratic revolution.

It was a platform to confirm that the general membership of the union comprehends the tasks of our second phase of our transition for radical socio economic transformation of our society. That the ANC is the leader of our struggle for the construction of our national democratic society.

Importantly the congress corresponded well with the notion that the working class is the backbone of our transition to build a non racial, non sexist, democratic and prosperous society.

During the congress of the second international Cde Vladimir Lenin again had to say the following about the role of a trade union movement in the struggle of the working class"

Both the political and economic struggle of the working class are equally necessary for the complete liberation of the proletariat from the shackles of ideological, political and economic servitude. Whilst the parties of social democracy fail to organise and to lead the political struggle of the proletariat, so it is the task of the union organization to coordinate and lead the economic struggle of the working class".

To this end it is important that the South African working class understand the class character of the ANC as a revolutionary national liberation movement. That it grapples well with the most important theoretical formulation of the relationship between the national, class and gender struggle.

Our national liberation movement is not just a nationalist movement which its focus is the colours of our national flag, national anthem, different ethnic and race groups, borders and the names of the oceans, rivers, mountains, valleys and neighbors surrounding our democratic republic. Our movement is a revolutionary national liberation movement.

The ANC is part of the worldwide struggle of the people of the world to liberate themselves from the yoke of imperialism and neo colonialism. Our movement is part of the revolutionary contingent to liberate the world from the legacy of poverty, disease and underdevelopment.

In 1928, the plenary session of Comintern, characterised the South African situation as British dominion of a special type. The character of the South African economy was such that the British imperialism carried the economic exploitation of our country with the participation of the white South African bourgeoisie.

As a result of the understanding of these specific concrete conditions of the South African situation, comintern therefore called for the establishment of native South African republic as a stage towards a worker or a peasant republic with full equal rights for all races.

Comintern formulated the theoretical preposition during its plenary that the oppressed people of our country do not only suffer from capitalist exploitation and imperialist domination, but also from racial discrimination. A theoretical synthesis that constitute the core of the essence of our national democratic revolution.

Our union SADTU has an immediate task to lead the political and socio economic struggle of the working class during this important period of the second phase of our transition for construction of our national democratic society. The foremost task is the consolidation of the common cause of our national democratic revolution for socio economic transformation of society.

Therefore our struggles against opportunism and counter revolution is inseparable from the revolutionary struggles of the working class. Without a protracted and resolute struggle against all these counter revolutionary tendencies, there will be no victory of the working class struggle.

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

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