New tendencies and organisational discipline in Mass Democratic Movement Part 1.
From the onset, we must mention that this brief article could either provoke or be uninteresting to some while politically educational and exciting to others. Its main intention is to attempt to remind comrades and sensitize new members about our organisational discipline. However it is not aimed at pleasing empty political-egos of the so-called "senior-comrades."
Hence we would have achieved our intention if this article excites some while provoking others. The background for penning down this brief article is informed by our observation of new tendencies that have emerged with the Alliance in general and the African National Congress in particular since we attained political freedom.
Some of these new tendencies include although not limited to: the creation of bogus branches and membership for the purposes of being voting fodders/cows, substitution and the relegation of political logic and robust but comradely debates to name-calling, insults and political blackmail like "babekuphi lababantu sisemzabalazweni"[1]; blind loyalty to individuals; politics of money and greedy; members of other members; marginalisation of politically-clear cadres in favour of (politically weak) new members who are easy prey for manipulation; the use of the organisation to accumulate wealth and, as David Masondo, "to overcome personal inconveniences such as unemployed etc."
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, referring to these new tendencies as "sins of incumbency", argues that "some of these challenges are issues such as social distance between the governors and the governed; bureaucratic elitism; arrogance of power; careerism; venality and corruption; moral and ideological degeneration among the rank and file; and use of state institutions to fight inner-party battles."
He therefore correctly concludes that "our task is to identify these challenges through political education that elevates a particular branch of historical consciousness we have imbibed from our past."