Ronnie Kasrils is a true example that to be a revolutionary is not an inherent or a permanent feature

During my tenure as an Ambassador of our country to the Republic of Cuba, I had a rare opportunity to interact with one of the commanders of the Cuban revolution who was amongst the group of revolutionaries led by Che Guavara, which undertook a three months tour to our continent in 1964, to foster relationships with our progressive governments and the African liberation movement in general.

This was a group of extraordinary heroic revolutionaries who defended their newly declared socialist republic from the US led military invasion during the historic battle of Playa Giron. The battle was historic from the point of view that it was the first military defeat of the US superpower in the Southern Hemisphere.

This revolutionary embrace of a tour of immense acts of solidarity and internationalism eventually saw the involvement of thousands of Cuban internationalists in various battles with their fellow liberation movements from our continent, as they strove to emancipate themselves from the yoke of colonial intrusion and domination. We graciously pay tribute to these many of the heroic combatants from the womb of the other mother, who stood and fell gloriously by the oppressed people of our continent, living their heroic bones to fertilise our motherland.

It was the determination of the Cuban internationalists together with the combined military force of the combatants of our national liberation movement that liberated our people from the racist Apartheid military zone in Southern Africa. It was during the heroic battle of Quito Guanavale that the people of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Angola, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and South Africa liberated themselves from racists oppression, white domination and super exploitation by the apartheid regime

During our rare interaction, he taught me a lesson that dialectical and historical materialism defines that to be a revolutionary is not necessarily an inherent or a permanent feature. The reason why from time to time, revolutionary movements must subject its members to a rigorous political education classes, irrespective of the positions they hold.

He was emphatic that counter revolution always master the strength enough to assume the offensive against any revolution. Therefore political education provides the basis to ascertain from time to time whether our membership and leadership, is still consistent with the character and posture of our revolution.

I narrate this episode against the background of the demagogical catchwords from Cde Ronnie Kasrils, our former minister of intelligence and a leader of the ANC and the SACP, calling on our people not to vote for their national liberation movement the ANC, in the coming national general elections.

I must confess that it is deeply painful and grotesque to witness a veteran of his calibre, who constitute the core of our historic leadership of our movement, mounting such a low intensity counter revolutionary onslaught against our national democratic revolution.

It is painful to see such a heroic custodian of our glorious flag counted amongst those who are hellbent to destroy our national liberation movement. The ANC is the only hope to the struggle of the suffering people of our country and the continent.

The bones of the founding fathers of our liberation movement will indeed reverberate from within their graves upon hearing that those who were entrusted with the responsibility of preserving our glorious flag have joined the enemy forces to destroy the foundations of the struggle of our people. 

It will indeed worry OR Tambo, Moses Kotane, Joe Slovo, Chris Hani, Nelson Mandela and Solomon Mahlangu and many of our unsung heroes and heroines of our struggle upon hearing that, those in whose hands they left the movement are now working towards its destruction, hemorrhaging it to death. They will bleed with pain to hear that the American dollar has eroded the political consciousness of one of our best.

The task of the historic leadership of our movement is to constitute themselves as a fort that represent the true values, culture and traditions of our national liberation struggle. They should serve as the best examples and inspiration to our young generation.

Ronnie Kasrils is the first one to understand our revolutionary principle of democratic centralism. This is a principle which is synonymous to the rich history of our struggle, and more importantly the way in which our movement has been expressing itself to the leadership questions.

He knows well that the constitution of the ANC affords every member in good standing an opportunity to select his or her preferred candidate in any of the leadership positions within the echelons of our movement. He knows well that what is more profound and unique about the constitution of our movement, which make us different from others, is that at the same time, it requires of us to give an unwavering support to those elected into positions of responsibilities irrespective of their earlier preference. 

It therefore unacceptable and indeed an act tantamount to treason for Ronnie Kasrils to use the instincts of his leadership preferences in the movement to decide the fate of the future of our people. There is no one member whose image or stature, as an individual, can be bigger than that of the glorious flag of our national liberation movement. 

The people of our country must not be confused by the demagogical catchwords of those who tasted the honey of power. All of our people must swell the unity of our ranks and defeat the enemy by voting for the ANC in the coming general elections.

Ronnie Kasrils and his group of agent provocateurs must note that their seats on the Isithwalandwe candidate list remain open. The ANC will never close its doors for anybody who wants to take the revolutionary struggle of our people forward.

ANC Lives, ANC Leads!

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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