UMSEBEHU & VOICE OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY

Volume 9 No 2 1993 CURRENT issue Price: 50c —— *

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"It is time for the SACP and for working class formations within the ANC-led alliance to reassert themselves with confidence and optimism." This was the message delivered to the FAWU national congress by Charles Nqakula.SACPgeneral secretary. "Left and workingclass forces WITHIN the ANC- led alliance must transform the present mood of confusion among the rank and file of the broad mass movement. "Instead of feeding the sense of confusion with more complaints and moaning, with talk about breaking the alliance - let us point the way forward. It is the historic responsibility of working class for­ mations to galvanise our National Liberation Move­ ment." Comrade Charles highlighted four tasks: O We must claim our victories, but without exag­ geration; present; O We must go back to the basics of our national O We must develop a concrete and embracing pro­ liberation struggle, but without dogmatism; gramme for reconstruction that enables the ANC to OWe must reaffirm that socialism is the future, while win elections, but which carries us way beyond April understanding how to build for socialism in the 27 1994.

FORWARD TO PEOPLES POWER I Party Building MASS DRIVEN NEGOTIATIONS: For 19 days, between May 17 and June 5, Eastern Transvaal commu­ nities maintained a consumer boy­ Lessons from E.Tvl cott of white shops. According to the SA Chamber of Business Ihe boycott knocked sales by 70-80%. The actions quickly brought regional Consumer Boycott and local authorities and white interest groups to the negotiating table. * supplies of vegetables and fruit to transition to democracy; The boycott was called in the wake hawkers; • security forces and government to of the assassination of comrade Chris * petrol, servicing and spare parts for take firm action against security force Hani. The main issues of the boycott taxis and for the community in general* members and others interfering with were: The CBCs also had the responsibil­ free political activity; • to register Ihe anger of hundreds of ity of monitoring the boycott. • a joint tripartite alliancc/SADFdel- thousands of people in the region at cde egation to verify the de-electrification Chris's slaying; Engaging the white community of the SA/Mozambique border fence. • an early announcement of an elec­ Originally, the alliance had planned to An investigation on humane border tion date and a speedy transition to target the businesses of extreme right- controls is also to be established; democracy; wingers in the white community. The • the phasing out of the inhumane * local and regional demands. object was to isolate the most reaction­ bucket system, still prevalent in a In other words, the boycott com­ ary forces. However, we found we numbcrof townships in the region. This bined national political demands with lacked information about the white system is to be replaced with flushing local grassroots issues. This combina­ community. We didn't know who was toilets. Joint alliance and RSC subcom­ tion had a lot to do with the success of who. mittees will be established to oversee the campaign. This, in itsel f, reflects the situation in this process; the Eastern Transvaal, where baasskap • reactivating steps to establish a Careful preparations has remained deeply entrenched. There Regional Economic Forum. Another reason for the success was the has been virtually no engagement, no It has also been agreed that review careful preparations made in the weeks talking between the townships and the meetings will occur every 60 days to before. white communities. assess progress in all these areas. Based on previous experience, it was The boycott has begun to reverie decided to do more than just exempt all this. Right from the start, the boycott June 16 black businesses from the boycott. organisers kept their doors open. They The agreements were soon put to the Every effort was made to actively in­ were always prepared to engage busi­ test. On June 16 two comrades were volve African and Indian business peo­ ness-people and local authorities in dis­ tragically shot by the security forces in ple in Ihe campaign. Meetings were cussion. By the second week the white Piet Reticf during a peaceful June 16 arranged with black businesses, includ­ business community was calling for march. The community has demanded ing taxi associations. meetings in dozens of localities. the replacement of the local SAP sta­ Senior members of the tripartite alli­ The boycott organisers took the de­ tion commander, Pretorius. Forthe first ance were deployed throughout the 16 cision to engage organised business, time in the region the SAP has been zones of the region to mobilise for the the provincial authorities and the secu­ forced to agree to this demand. boycott. rity forces, on a regional basis. Consumer Boycott Committees On June 5, the ANC/SACP/ Lessons of the boycott (CBCs) were established. They con­ COSATU alliance met with SACOB, Whenwcspeakofa"massdrivennego- sisted of representatives from the alli­ the Sakekamer, the Afrikaans tiations process", we tend to think only ance and mass democratic structures, Handelsinstituut, Eskom, the Transvaal of national campaigns focussed on the and from black business and taxi asso­ Provincial Administration, the Regional multi-party negotiations at the World ciations. The tasks of the CBCs were, Services Council, and Ihe SADF and Trade Centre. The Eastern Transvaal amongst other things, to identify ex­ SAP. consumer boycott shows how it is pos­ empted outlets that could provide: sible (and necessary) to combine na­ * basic commodities, daily necessi­ Breakthrough tional demands with winnable local ties (bread, eggs, medicines, etc.); The meeting was a major breakthrough. demands. • supplies to black businesses, tav­ A joint statement agreed on: Negotiations and transformation are erns and spaza shops; * joint action to ensure a speedy not only national, top-down processes. THE PEOPLE MUST OWN THE TRANSITION PROCESS!

Pag»2 • UMSEBENZI • Volume 9 Uo2, 1993 ' *\ I CURRENT AFFAIRS Back to Basics * _ I & Frompagel (Chorles Nqokula's speech) Let us claim our victories adjust tactically to a new national and The present world and national situa­ global situation. In countries where the tion means thai many important popular Left and the Liberation Movements have victories arc likely to be partial, not failed to engage with a negotiated tran­ outright. The Dc Klerk regime also has sition, they have tended to be side-lined, a deliberate strategy to hide our own leaving the field wide open to neo- victories from us. liberal forces of all kinds. For three years before the release of But our necessary tactical adapta­ comrade Mandela, the regime was tions must in no way confuse us about «Itj is time for our strategic objectives and our basic spreading stories about his imminent the SACP and release. They hoped that, when it even­ principles. tually happened, it would be an anti­ The Freedom Charter remains abso­ working class climax. They even hoped they would lutely relevant. Wc arc still engaged in formations within look like the liberators. a national democratic revolution. Wc are still struggling against a colonialism of This was a deliberate strategy care- the ANC-led alliance a special type. Constitutionally wc will fully deployed over three ycais. In this begin to abolish CST in the coming to reassert themselves case the strategy largely failed. We suc­ yeais, but CST is not just a constitution cessfully claimed our victory. with confidence - it is a system, a structure and a terrible But the regime's strategy has not legacy. A long hard struggle lies ahead. and optimism." been abandoned. On Friday July 2 wc Charles Nqakula won an historic victory, April 27 1994 And in this struggle the leading role was agreed uponas the d?ic for the first of the working class (asserted at the ever one-person one-vote elections in ANCs Morogoro conference in 1969) a caucus or a cabal manipulating the our country. But this major victory remains absolutely critical. ANC from within. seemed like an anticlimax. We have The Freedom duller was won as the been expecting this for months. Socialism liberation movement's programme, be­ BUT IT IS A REAL VICTORY and The collapse in eastern Europe and the cause tlic Charter emerged from un- wc must claim it- formerSovietUnionhashada profound Ieashingapopularproccss,a mass based It is not just an election date, but also impact on our broad mass movement - programme-the collection of hundreds a date within a process that wc, as the not just on communists. The SACP and of thousands of basic demands from ANC-lcd tripartite, championed from other working class formations have a ordinary workingpcoplc throughout our the beginning. It id an election for a special responsibility to lead ourpcople country. Constituent Assembly. This is OUR outof the resulting confusion and loss of In 1993 we must begin to achieve a scenario - not the CFs or the IFP's, not direction. similar result. the PACs, not originally the DP's and The collapse takes nothingaway from We need to elaborate a concrete pro­ certainly not the NP*s. our ongoing criticism of capitalism. gramme for reconstructing our society. But, although il is a real victory, wc Capitalism remains profoundly eornipt, This programme mast emerge from mass must not exaggerate. It is still largely on irnilional and oppressive. Socialism is struggles, mass formations, mass in* paper, a free and fair election is still far the future. But wc need to be building volvcmcnt. This reconstruction pro­ from guaranteed. An election will mark positions of strength for socialism right gramme is not a replacement for the an important STEP in the national now in the present. Freedom Charter. Il must be its democratic revolution, but not its com­ Which mcans,amongUothcrthings.*. concretisation. pletion. Reconstruction is not socialism. But Which is why wc say wc must also A Reconstruction Programme we must turn it into the path to social­ get: In 1955 the Left made an indelible mark ism. on our broad liberation movement. With Socialism is the future.*. Back to Basics the Freedom Charter a broad vision was let us begin to build it, right now In the last three years we have had to la id down. The Left achieved this, not as In the present. SOCIALISM IS THE FUTURE - BUILD IT NOW!

UMSEBENZI • Volume 9 No.2, 1993 • Page i Theory and Practice O Knowledge Is Strength

UMSEBENZI STUDY SERIES

Part One: The South African transition in a world context

The present negotiated transition in close study of all these transitions. anti-war movement developed. In South Africa is not an exception. Our opponents have elaborate theo­ 1973 the US conceded defeat and Similar transitions from undemocratic ries about transitions. They have well retreated. systems towards greater democracy developed think-tanks, funding But US imperialism did not aban­ have happened, and arc happening in agencies, and all kinds of institutes don its plans for world domination. many parts of the world. Negotiated for "democracy". They convene The new strategy involved "low in­ transitions of this kind have become countless local and international tensity warfare". In other words, the very common since the beginning of seminars and workshops. extensive use of local dictators and of the 1980s. We need to understand the other local proxy forces. In Vietnam, they In particular, the South African side's agenda and theories (see Part called this the "Vietnamisation" of transition resembles transitions in a 2), and we need to develop our own the war. number of other third world capitalist understanding of these transitions. The policy involved massive po­ countries. These arc countries like El The first question we need to ask litical and military support for many Salvador, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, is: local strong-men to serve imperialist Argentine, and the Philippines. Like Why arc these transitions happen­ interests in their regions—the Shah of South Africa, these are countries in ing? Iran in the Middle East; the Vorster which a strong popular movement Each country has its own character and PW Botha apartheid regime in has been challenging an authoritar­ and dynamics. But the large number southern Africa; Somoza in Central ian regime. of transitions that have been happen­ America; Marcos in the Philippines; Thieu in Indochina; Pinochet and There are also many other transi­ ing world-wide in the last ten years other bloody generals in the southern tion processes from which we can point to some general, underlying cone of South America, etc. learn. These include Namibia and causes. Zimbabwe; Portugal, Spain and These include: These local imperialist policemen Greece; the negotiated settlement and 1. A switch in imperialist strategies. meant that Washington did not have elections in Nicaragua; the stalled The political defeat in Vietnam of to despatch hundreds of thousands of transition in South Korea; and the US imperialism in the early 1970s, its own consripts to die in distant processes under way in eastern Eu­ led to a major strategic re-think in countries. It also meant that the terri­ rope. Washington. The despatch of a huge ble bloodshed inflicted by these re­ As South African revolutionaries US army to Vietnam in the 1960s had gimes could be presented as "local we need to study all of these transi­ failed to defeat the Vietnamese na­ rivalry", "ethnic conflict", or "black on black" violence. tion processes. The South African tional liberation movement. Increas­ ruling bloc and especially its impe­ ing numbers of US conscripts were But these local regimes themselves dying. A mass US and international rialist advisors certainly have made a proved unstable. They became the BUILD A PEOPLES WORLD ORDER

Page 4 - UMSEBENZI • Volume 9 No.2, 1993 Theory and Practice O Knowledge Is Strongth

privatising local industries, devalu­ ing the local currency, and cutting back government spending on social programmes. Al I are designed to pro­ vide greater profitability and greater access for the multinationals.

3. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War targets of growing mass and guerrilla In the 1980s, economicstagnation lar movements around theworld. This movements. Many (likeThieu in Vi­ in the Soviet Union and its increasing technology has also dramatically in­ etnam, the Shah in I ran, and Somoza reliance on grain imports from the creased the possibilities for building in Nicaragua) collapsed in the face of US, underlined that the Soviet bloc global solidarity. The tragedy of a popular revolutions. was losing the Cold War - economi­ Boipatong is seen simultaneously in So, without abandoning "low in­ cally. This process and the eventual Johannesburg, London and Wash­ tensity warfare", the imperialists collapse in 1989-90strengthened the ington. made a further strategic shift. They case of those imperialist strategists began encouraging transitions to advocating less reliance on regional Contradictory Impact "democracy'* in third world coun­ dictatorships to shore up imperial­ It is out of the contradictory impact of tries. They progressively withdrew ism. these, and other factors that the world­ full support from their own dictators, The timing of the February 21990 wide trend to negotiated transitions or pressured them to "reform", while move by FW De Klerk was not acci­ to democracy needs lobe understood. building pro-imperialist "centrist" dental. In fact, he specifically re­ In principle, any degree of democ­ political alliances. The strategy was ferred to the collapse in eastern Eu­ ratisation is an improvement for the toblunttheedge of national liberation rope as a reason "allowing" for "de­ working people. The SACP has never movements and mass struggles. mocratisation" here in South Africa. taken the ultra-left view that "the worse that things are, the better it is 2. Changes in the world capitalist 4. Human rights movements for the revolution." system Economic developments in the ad­ But it is also clear that the imperi­ These changes in imperialist po­ vanced capitalist countries in the alists are fostering transitions to de­ litico-military strategy were also 1960s led to the rapid growth of new mocracy with their own agenda. For closely connected to major changes social strata (white collar workers, a Communist Parties and other left and in the world capitalist system. From massive tertiary student population, progressive forces, the challenge is to the early 1970s the capitalist system new professions). These socio-eco­ engage with these transitions to de­ became increasingly global and nomic developments coincided with feat the other side's agenda. Where transnational in character. the Vietnam war and growing inter­ left and democratic forces have failed Imperialist control has been ex­ nal structural problems. New social to engage adequately with these erted increasingly through financial movements (anti-war, black power, processes, they have been out­ mechanisms imposed by bodies like youth and student, feminist, greens, manoeuvred by imperialism and its the IMF (the International Monetary new trade unions, and progressive local allies. Our task is to ensure an Fund), the World Bank,.and GATT religious movements) exploded onto unstoppable movement towards far- (General Agreement on Trade and the stage in 1968. reaching democracy. Tariffs). It was partly out of these strata and "Democratisation" in the 3rd movements that the world Anti- O In future issues we wilt look, World has often been motivated by Apartheid movement grew. These amongst other things, more closely the belief in imperialist circles that new social movcmcnts(at first largely al: Neo-liberal theories of transi­ elected centrist (or even left) gov­ centred in the 1st world) began to tion; Developing Revolutionary Al­ ernments would have more legitimacy have an important and generally pro­ ternatives; Social Movements and in imposing thebitlerpill of structural gressive impact on imperialist inter­ Transition; The Armed Forces and adjustment programmes on their own national policy. Transition; The Bureaucracy and people. These programmes involve The rapid advances made in the Transition; Elections and Transi­ such things as dropping local trade last decades in communications tion; and The Economy in Transi­ barriers to imperialist operations, technology have helped foster simi­ tions, FROM BELOW!

UMSEBENZI • Volume 9 No.2, 1993 • Page 5 I Current Affairs The SACP and Elections: Time for Communists to organise for a massive ANC Alliance victory

The SACPwill bring 1 million extra, eration movement and a workers' ing on the ANC list. But we will not working class votes for the ANC parly in alliance is the reality in our be participating passively! Asa party, ticket. This was one of the resolu­ country... and it makes sense. as communists we will set an exam­ tions taken at our party's National ple of dedication and activism in or­ Election Workshop held at the be­ O Programmatically, there is no sub­ der to ensure: ginning of July. stantial difference in short and me­ But why is the SACP not contest­ dium term perspectives between the O a resounding election victory for ing the April 27, 1994clcclionsscpa- ANC and SACP. For decades, the the ANC list. rately? Why are we joining a single SACP strategically has been com­ O an ANC list that emerges from a ANC-led list? mitted to a national democratic democratic nominations process. There are least three good strategic revolution as the most direct path to O an ANC list that reflects a strong reasons, and one good tactical reason socialism in SA. These coming working class and gender awareness. for our decision. elections arc a step in the national O an election campaign that does not democratic process. side-line social and economic strug­ Strategically: gles of all kinds. O These are not ordinary elections. Tactically: O an election platform rooted in a They are national I iberation elections. OThcsewillbe the first ever elections mass-based reconstruction pro­ There arc two basic sides in these for the overwhelming majority of our gramme. elections. On one side, are those forces people. This applies especially to the attempting to hijack democratic ANOSACP constituency. Symbols, We will fight these elections, and change in the direction of neo- voting procedures and choices need, we will build a powerful ANC and a apartheid. On the other, there must be from our point of view, to be abso­ powerful SACP in the process. a unified and massive national libera­ lutely clcarcut, as simple as possible. tion movement. Let us keep this A separate SACP ticket could con fuse SEKVNJALO, KE NAKO, NOW IS perspective. No confusions, please. many would-be ANC-alliance voters. THE TIME FOR COMMUNISTS TO ORGANISE FOR A MASSIVE OThc membership and constituency SACP priorities ANC ALLIANCE ELECTION of the SACP overlaps to a very large The SACP will, then, be participat­ VICTORY! extent with the ANC The SACP is a parly of the working class and for socialism within the ANC-led alli­ ance. We have a unique and histori­ cal alliance. This is grounded on the NOW IS THE TIME!

realities of South Africa - a special • •*: ::.: ' kind of colonialism, but on (he terrain of a fairly developed capitalist economy. Our's is a national libera­ ANC tion struggle in which the working ^^^^^^^^^j^^^ class is both the leading class force and the largest class. A national lib­ SEKUNJALO! KE NAKO! NOU IS DIE TYD! TO A DECISIVE ANC-ALLIANCE VICTORY!

Pag* 6 • UMSEBENZI • Volum* 9 No.2, 1993 I Current Affairs: SABC Board FW's man on the SABC board

On June 24lh Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert fore the news became public. He said he was finally forced to step down as interim would not accept the chair, he could not chairperson of the SABC board. The afford the embarrassment of being seen board itself was not prepared to accept as "De Klerk's man". him. But Slabbert quickly changed bis Slabbert said he was resigning "not mind. After a meeting with De Klerk he reluctantly, but happily". The fads, agreed to "chair the board's first meet­ however, suggest something else. ing". This saved Dc Klerk from a dam­ When the hearings for a new board aging political crisis. began in early May, the nameof Van Zyl Emerging from the first board meet­ Slabbert for chairperson began to float ing on June 3, Slabbert changed bis in the English-language press. Someone mind again. He said the board should be tnje. The 11 right-wingers on the board in the background was running a cam­ "left alone", "give us a break". In a prevailed on a not unrcluctant Slabbert paign to promote him for the post. thinly disguised reference to the ANC to stay on as chair. The independent selection panel, and the Campaign for Independent Meanwhile, during his brief career as came to a different conclusion. They Broadcasting, Slabbert talked about po­ chair, Slabbert held a series of meetings selected Professor Njabulo Ndebele as litical "prima donnas" and people who with senior SABC executives, reassur­ chairperson, with Van Zyl Slabbert as "wanted to throw their toys out of their ing them that they would not lose their cols". Slabbert announced that he was vice chairperson. jobs. Just before his removal as chair, now going to serve as chair "until the On May 26 the selection panel was Slabbert told the Vryc Weekblad that: end of July." "The SABC is a large and complex summonsed to a meeting with FW De organisation... Anybody who thinks (hat Klerk. Accordingtoone source, De Klerk In the press conference, Slabbert an­ you can../radically renew' it... is living physically tossed the list back at the nounced that he had received unani­ in a dreamworld..." panel, dismissing it as "inadequate". mous support from the board. This is not The whole pointofthesclectionpancl wastoensure that the pfoccssofselccting a new SABC board "should be inde­ HOW SLABBERT PLOTTED WITH pendent of the government of the day." De Klerk's intervention completely in­ PW TO DEFEAT THE ANC fringed the spirit of this. De Klerk objected to Ndebele on the Slabbert's meeting with FW in which pull the teeth of the whole ANC story, grounds that he was "not bilingual". As the President "persuaded" him to stay as but this is not a matter I can discuss with it happens, Ndebele speaks Solhot Chair of the SABC board, was not the the Cabinet Committee. This affects the Tswana, Zulu, Xhosa, English and a first meeting he has bad with an apart­ security situation. This is perhaps why I little Afrikaans. He also reads French heid President. mentioned the name of Dr (Neil] Barnard and German fluently. For De Klerk, In February 1986 Slabbert, then |lhenNlS head]. "bilingual" means English and Afri­ Leader of the Opposition, abruptly left PW Botha: "You know I have given kaans. parliament. He claimed that the final you the right to speak to them... you, The panel met Minister Da nieSchutte straw that led to this decision was a doctor, can make a positive contribu­ the next day, and on May 28 they had meeting with President PW Botha in tion. another meeting with De Klerk. November 1985. Slabbert claimed this Slabbert: "I would gladly like to do After being brow-beaten for three meeting had been very depressing. that..." days, the selection panel took a vote PW Botha responded by releasing a PW Botha: "We will look at it on with four voting to reverse their deci­ 42 page document, the transcript of the merit. I promise you that, and it will sion on Ndebele, and three voting to meeting (which he had secretly taped!). reach me. keep Ndebele. Unfortunately forSlabbcrt, the transcript Slabbert: "I would be very thankful." On May 31 the selection panel an­ presents a very different picture of the Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert has often nounced its new board, with Slabbert as meeting. attacked us for believing that demo­ chair, and Ndebele reduced to an ordi­ Here are extracts from the PWBotba- cratic Iransfomialion should be mass- nary member. Slabbert meeting: driven. Slabbert advocates "elite bar­ How did Slabbert react to all of this? Slabbert: "President, I think, I hon­ gaining" instead. Thanks to PW's tapes, His first reaction was irritation. He estly think, and this I say with my expe­ we have an interestingglimpse into what "elite bargaining" is. had not been personally informed be­ rience of the thing, I still think you can FREE THE AIRWAVES!

UMSEBENZI • Volume 9 No.2. 1993 • Page 7 I Back Page: INTERNATIONAL

CUBA SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN South African Solidarity for Cuba

Cuba has recently been struck by a has already been formed. Funds for strange disease which can cause vitamins and other humanitarian aid blindness and paralysis. Over 26,000 is being collected. Cubans have been affected in the past months. O In Port Elizabeth the Lcnnon Phar­ The disease iscompletely unknown maceutical Company hasdonated 1,2 internationally. Cuban and world million multivitamin tablets to the health specialists are urgently work­ campaign. ing to find a cure.

Despite having one of the best OThe National Progressive Primary •.-. health systems in the world, Cuba is Health Care Nctworkhas set up "Soap battling to cope with this epidemic. A Boxes for Cuba" to collect bath soap daily intake of vitamin tablets helps and detergents. to stop the disease. The Cubans have now managed to O In Carletonville mineworkers arrest the spread of the disease by passed around tinsand collected hun­ :•:;;•:•: ^X™^ supplying free to each Cuban citizen dreds of rands for Cuba. onevitamincapsuIcdaily.Thismcans nearly 11 millions vitamin capsules OAttheJune 16th rally in Khayclitsha each day! Nocountry in the world has and in SACP branch meetings all the capacity to produce this many over the country sums of money arc of Cuba vitamin tablets daily. being collected to buy vitamins. The need is urgent and the Cuban government has called on the inter­ No sum is loo small. iwiiftiW Stales 1 1:1s imposedoa^ national community for assistance. \ total economic blockade on Here in South Africa, a broad- VIVA CUBA! VIVA INTERNA­ Cuba. Trade; finance, tour­ based Cuban Solidarity Campaign TIONALISM! ism and even humanitarian assistance has been! blocked,

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE tains relations with undemo­ cratic and brutal regimes Question: Which Third World education, health, housing and around the world.TheUSonly country: social security? beliitedly and halfheartedly e. Defeated the racist SADF at Imposed MI net ions aga Inst t he Cuito Cuanavale? a. Has eliminated poverty, home- apartheid regime in South lessness and illiteracy? Africa. b. Has raised its citizens' life ex­ Answers: But the US for three dec- pectancy since 1959 from 55 to a. Socialist Cuba ades has continued to punish 75 years? b. Socialist Cuba the Cuban; people tor daring c. Has sent more doctors overseas c. Socialist Cuba to choose their own

VIVA CUBA! VIVA!

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