Issue 42, 2016
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3rd Quarter3rd 2016 NUMBER 42 NUMBER UMRABULO NUMBER 42 | 2016 U LET’S TALK POLITICS 1 U UMRABULO NUMBER 42 | 2016 UMRABULO ContentsCONTENTS NUMBER 42 | 2016 UMRABULO was a word used to inspire IN THIS ISSUE political discussion and debate on Robben Island. This concept was revived in 1996 when the ANC published the first edition Our arduos struggle against racism: of Umrabulo. The journal’s mission is to 5 encourage debate and rigorous discussions Quo vadis at all levels of the movement. by Lindiwe Sisulu Colonialism and Apartheid are dead: 11 Long live Colonialism of a Special Type by Gugile Nkwinti CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS Umrabulo welcomes contributions from readers. Contributions may be in response VIEWPOINT THE FUTURE OF THE ANC AS A to previous articles or may raise new issues. 25 RULING PARTY Contributions may be sent to the address below. Is the ANC Likely to lose power in the forese- able future? SUBSCRIPTIONS by Kgolane Rudolph Phala This service has been suspended for the time being. Subscribers will be notified when it will resume. VIEWPOINT UNITY OF ETHICS AND 2 33 POLITICS AT THE CURRENT POLITICAL EDITORIAL COLLECTIVE Nathi Mthethwa – Editor-in-Chief JUNCTURE Joel Netshitenzhe by Thando Ntlemeza Thenjiwe Mtintso Joyce Mashamba Enoch Godongwana CELEBRATING 95 YEARS OF THE SACP Dipuo Letsatsi–Duba 40 by Kgolane Rudolph Phala Donovan Cloete Steyn Speed Muzi Ndlovu HISTORY A BUILD UP TO THE THIRTY YEARS 44 SINCE THE TALKS ABOUT TALKS ON GOREE CONTACT INFORMATION ISLAND, DAKAR, SENEGAL Address: Umrabulo by Thembisile Majola PO Box 61884 Marshalltown 2107 TRIBUTE TO A SOUTH AFRICAN AT HEART: South Africa 48 ANDREW YOUNG Tel: 011 376 1000 by Jeff Radebe Fax: 086 633 1437 E-mail: [email protected] AFRICA WESTERN SAHARA: The last colony 51 in Africa – part 4 by Nathi Mthethwa The contents and views expressed in Umrabulo do not necessarily reflect the policies of the ANC or the views of the editorial collective. Umrabulo on the web : www.anc.org.za UMRABULO NUMBER 42 | 2016 U EDITORIAL ■ By Nathi Mthethwa N the 16th of June 2016, entiations imposed by nature and by South Africans of all walks eliminating all kinds of hypocrisy that Oof life will gather in Orlan- Let us continue to sustain the shameless exploitation of do Stadium to pay tribute to a gen- women.” eration of young men and women be a campaigning In our case, the first gift that this of our country who gave it all to generation and their predecessors set our country on the road to organisation and behest on us is the building of a freedom like never before. South African nation. a campaigning A generation that Franz Fanon The construction of that nation was describes as a generation that dis- government and not to be based on the principle of covered its mission and set out to separation and different ethnic or ra- fulfil it. cial groups. A generation that brought back firmly the spotlight of The foundation of that nation was based on the prin- the international community on the conditions of the ciples of a united, non-racialism, non-sexism, socio- Black South Africans under the system of colonialism economic justice and democratic South Africa with 3 and apartheid. equal opportunities in education, employment, busi- ness etc. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the epic This was the dream of different generations of African march of women against the pass laws. We must recall leaders and activists it continues to be our dream that that it is women of our country who introduced the we are making a reality. practice of mass action in the liberation movement as early as 1913. On Tuesday, 31st May 2016, a hand of death descended upon the people of Saharawi Arab Democratic Re- Paying tribute to women that African patriot, Thomas public (SADR) and robbed them of their beloved son, Sankara, putting his case before thousands of women, comrade President Mohamed Abdelaziz. moved from the point that the revolution cannot tri- umph without the emancipation of women. While we mourn his loss, we must thank him and his family, especially his beloved wife, Professor Jadiya He goes on to define women in the following manner, Hamdi who is a Minister of Culture in Saharawi Arab “The human being,” he said, “this vast and complex com- Democratic Republic, most profoundly for the selfless bination of pain and joy, solitary and forsaken, yet creator service to all Saharawi people and progressive human- of all humanity, suffering, frustrated and humiliated, and ity at large, for his generosity of spirit and for teaching yet endless source of happiness for each one of us, this the humanity humility, respect for human dignity and source of affection beyond compare, inspiring the most compassion for the weak, the poor and the down- unexpected courage, this being called weak but possessing trodden. untold ability to inspire us to take the road of honor, this being of flesh and blood and of spiritual conviction – this The death of Comrade President Mohamed Abdelaziz being women, is you. has removed from the political scene one of the great- est figures in the Polisario Revolutionary Movement. “You are our mothers, life companions, our comrades in He was fearless in difficult times, he was disciplined struggle and because of this fact you should by right affirm and excelled as a leader in the trenches of the libera- yourselves as equal partners in the joyful victory feasts tion struggle in all fronts. of the revolution. We must restore to humanity your true image by making the reign of freedom prevail over differ- These revolutionaries and those who came before, U UMRABULO NUMBER 42 | 2016 they are generations whom we should perhaps rec- discoveries… ognize as the one that Frantz Fanon calls for at the end of his book, The Wretched of the Earth. “For Europe, for ourselves, for humanity, comrades, we must turn over a new leaf, we must work out new concepts, Fanon tells us that we on the African continent ought and try to set afoot a new man.” not to look westward or northward for solutions to the world’s problems. We are helping ourselves and the world to turn over a new leaf, to enter a new terrain and out of this to give “Humanity,” he says, “is waiting for something other from birth to a new man and a new woman. us than such an imitation.” All the events cited above once more affirmed these He says that: patriots as people of sound repute who have contrib- “If we want humanity to advance a step further, if we want uted enormously in the efforts of Africa and the world to bring it up to a different level than that which Europe for peace, prosperity and social progress. has shown it, then we must invent and we must make 4 UMRABULO NUMBER 42 | 2016 U Our arduous struggle against racism: Quo Vadis 5 ■ By Lindiwe Sisulu HILE THE rest of the world discusses the sociol- In this brief article I seek to show how, over many ogy of Racism and its limitations. Ours is a lived years, the ANC has waged a tireless struggle, through Wand deeply entrenched reality. Just like the colo- protests, campaigns, petitions and representations nial yolk, we will probably be the last country to unshackle with the sole aim of overthrowing a racist system with ourselves from this scourge. Racism in South Africa will not its elaborate illegitimate laws and promulgations. At simply disappear because we all wish it to – it will have to the heart of the minority regime were a litany of laws be consciously un-learnt. that were rooted in the Nazi’s Herrenvolk belief of the superiority of white race over Africans. After years of living in a society where racism is legal and normal, it is quite possible that it is an unconscious condi- I will not seek to address the various philosophies that tion that inflicts all of us in one way or another. deals with the race and race-based discourse, save to show how the ANC has waged a struggle against rac- Perhaps we missed the opportunity to dedicate a chapter ism with the view to advance a case for the intensi- in our Constitution to this matter – it is an undeniable right fication of such a struggle in our current trajectory. that every citizen be treated with no racial prejudice. The fact that we have passed democratic laws that entrench a rights-based culture is not in itself suffi- The struggle against racism has been a long, protract- cient to defeat and extirpate the roots of such a belief ed and arduous journey that still remains unfulfilled. of white superiority. From the time of the arrival of colonialists on our shores to this very date we still, in different measures, The issue is not only the conduct of those who still have to contend with the ugly revival and re-appear- harbour racists beliefs, but also of critical importance ance and resurgence of this monstrous beast in the is the empowering of the victim of racism to accept national scene in South Africa. that he/she is of equal worth to his fellow citizens. U UMRABULO NUMBER 42 | 2016 Thus, a substantial improvement in the lives of Africans fight against racism. Political agitation and mobilisa- will constitute a veritable panacea against racism. Tak- tion soon spread to urban and rural areas. The rural ing our people out of poverty and helplessness will go areas where racism was acute saw the birth of nascent a very long way towards defeating racism as it thrives resistance as Chiefs and the peasant fought hard to re- not just on unequal laws, but more so on poverty and gain their self-worth and assert their productive rights disempowerment.