ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS OBSERVE 26 JUNE AS AN IMPORTANT DAY IN THE LIBERATION HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA

26 June 2013

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) observe 26 June as an important day in the history of South Africa. It was on the 26th of June 1950 that the Liberation Movement Forces organized a mass protest action to oppose the apartheid government's enactment of the Suppression of Communism Act.

This mass protest action informed the mass character that the struggle against apartheid assumed in the period post 1950 and to this continues to be an inspiration to Economic Freedom Fighters, whose struggle for economic emancipation will be mass based and propelled. At all times, EFF will identify with the struggles of the masses, not only during elections as is the case in South Africa's politics currently. 

26th June is important because it was on this day that the Liberation forces commenced the Defiance Campaign in 1952, as a means of defying apartheid laws of segregation, suppression and racial exclusion. Through Defiance Campaign, the Liberation Movement was taken more seriously in society and was able to attract sympathy and supporters from the oppressed people because they appreciated the courage of the youthful liberation leaders, particularly the Defiance Campaign Volunteer in Chief Nelson Mandela. 

EFF is inspired by this because in its struggle for economic emancipation, EFF will educate, organize and agitate communities to defy unjust economic practices an laws such as evictions, retrenchments, and forced labour. Our struggles will include agitation or defiance, and the extent and scale of defiance will be determined by the nature of the struggles we take in every conjecture. 

26th of June is important because in 1955, the real Congress of the People, which was a non-partisan, representative, and delegated gathering of the people adopted the Freedom Charter in Kliptown as a principle objective and mission that informed the struggle for national and economic emancipation.

The Freedom Charter has mobilized all sectors of South African society behind the National Liberation Movement objectives to gain political emancipation and independence. Whilst a larger political part of the Freedom Charter has been attained with all gaining the Charter right for every man or woman to vote for and to stand as a candidate for bodies that make laws, a substantial component of what the Freedom Charter aims to archieve has not been achieved and none of the Political Parties in SA National Assembly have given practical meaning to the Freedom Charter.

To Economic Freedom Fighters, the Freedom Charter is our torchbearer, beacon of hope and inspiration to fight for the economic emancipation of the people of South Africa. EFF's Clarion Call is that "the people should share in the country's wealth; the minerals wealth beneath the soil, Banks and monopoly industry should be transferred to the ownership of the people as a whole; all other trade and industry should be controlled to assist the wellbeing of the people; the land should be shared among those who work it; the doors of learning and culture should be opened; the should be work and security, and importantly, the Freedom Charter should be given clearest radical interpretation and implemented to the fullest". 

The radical interpretation of the Freedom Charter, not the National Development Plan, nor Secrecy Laws, nor Repression, nor Corruption, nor Fear, nor intimidation, is our political programme to economic emancipation of South Africa. The Freedom Charter says that "the law shall guarantee to all their right to speak, to organize, to meet together, to publish, to preach, to worship and educate their children". This principle we hold so dearly, and we will never allow insecure Dictators to deprive South Africans of their right to speak, organize and criticize directionlessness. 

It is the Freedom Charter which will be the nerve of the political programmes of Economic Freedom Fighters and no amount of entitlement will cheap shots will make us abandon the Freedom Charter. EFF cannot abandon the Freedom Charter because we are aware that increased repression, the Treason Trial, banning of Poitical Parties and Movements, imprisonment of Political Leaders happened because of their relentless and fearless pursuit of the Freedom Charter.

Amidst all these, Leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu said that the correct interpretation of the economic clauses of the Freedom Charter means that Mines, Banks and Monopoly Industry should be Nationalised. It can never be correct that now because we have political freedom and few people have been co-opted by big Capital, we can just abandon the Freedom Charter. The Freedom Charter is our programme and we will pursue this programme to the fullest and ultimate end.

We call on all South Africans to take a bow to salute Freedom Fighters who on June 26 always resounded the Clarion Call for South Africa's political and economic emancipation, those who observed this day as "South Africa's Freedom Day", and this generation of Economic Freedom Fighters who will take the struggle to its logical conclusion. No surrender! No retreat! 

Statement issued by Economic Freedom Fighters, June 26 2013

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