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The National Democratic Revolution (NDR) in a Post- 1994 South Africa: a Reconstruction, Interpretation and Evaluation of This Revolutionary Ideology

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The National Democratic Revolution (NDR) in a Post- 1994 South Africa: a Reconstruction, Interpretation and Evaluation of This Revolutionary Ideology The National Democratic Revolution (NDR) in a post- 1994 South Africa: A reconstruction, interpretation and evaluation of this revolutionary ideology Jan Charl Marthinus Venter Thesis submitted for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North- West University Promoter: Professor A. Duvenhage November 2012 2 DECLARATION I declare “The National Democratic Revolution (NDR) in a post-1994 South Africa: A reconstruction, interpretation and evaluation of this revolutionary ideology” to be my own work, that all sources used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged, and that this thesis was not previously submitted by me or any other person for degree purposes at this or any other university. ........................................ ...................................... Signature Date 3 A WORD OF GRATITUDE I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Professor André Duvenhage who has inspired this thesis and its author; my mother and Anel for keeping me sane, Gérhard for his help and friendship, Simone for camaraderie, artistry and technical support, and Kate, Anneke and Lisl for the language editing. Above all I wish to say, Soli Deo Gloria and thank YOU. 4 ABSTRACT The National Democratic Revolution (NDR) is the central ideology of the governing tripartite alliance consisting of the ANC, the SACP and COSATU. In this class alliance that was formed in the struggle against apartheid, Communists, Socialists, (black) nationalists, Neo-liberalists and Pan-Africanists were to a certain degree united against the enemy of “colonialism of a special type” (apartheid in the vernacular of the NDR) and its exploitational economic legacy. From 2005 onward serious divisions within the once monolithic broad liberationist church became evident, and in 2007 at the Polokwane conference neo-liberalism (the “1996 class project”) was purged in favour of a more stringent and more socialist interpretation of the NDR. In 2012 the call went out for a “national democratic society” in South Africa in accordance with the basic principles of the NDR which will rely on an active citizenry, incorporated on all levels in (political) party structures and functions. This party (the ANC) and its associated activities are seen to be the gateway to development, health care, education and sustainable and safe communities. This principle is borrowed from Mao Zedong’s China where the “Mass Line” principle was first developed, and so the “cadre deployment strategy” that has such an impact on every bureaucracy in South Africa actually comes from Vietnam of the 1950s. As such the NDR is a “compendium of ideological principles.” It is vitally important that this ideology and its antecedent ideologies and theories, as well as the various schools of thought within the NDR, be analysed in order to provide insight into the decisions the government of South Africa takes, as well as into tripartite alliance politics, faction politics within the broad liberationist church, and policy decisions ranging from Southern Africa to the UN; from economic policies and possibilities of nationalisation of mines and other industries to military decisions and arms scandals. It is therefore the goal of this thesis to present a reconstruction, interpretation and evaluation of the National Democratic Revolution as ideological framework in the post-1994 South Africa. In support of this problem statement the central theoretical statement presented by this thesis is that the NDR forms the fundamental ideology of the ANC, the tripartite governing alliance in South Africa and the associated broad church. Herein a vision of the unjust past, the unacceptable present and the utopian future is developed, consisting of a hard core of fundamental assumptions and an adaptable context of application which, like a living organism, adapts all the time to a changing environment that will eventually dominate South Africa politically in theory and practice. The problem statement of this thesis is investigated in Chapter 2 by the reconstruction of radical thinking as an ideological framework; In Chapter 3 by the reconstruction of the ideologies and theories that contributed to the formulation of the NDR; in Chapter 4 by the reconstruction and interpretation of the development of the NDR within the South African historical context; in Chapter 5 by the reconstruction and interpretation of the NDR and its analytical dimension; in Chapter 6 by the reconstruction and interpretation of the NDR and its normative dimension; in Chapter 7 by the reconstruction and interpretation of the NDR and its the strategic dimension, and in Chapter 8 through the provision of an evaluation of the ideology of the NDR as well as short scenario perspectives on the future of the NDR. During the investigation described above several important factors came to light. Arguably the most important of them, described in Chapters 4 and 8, deals with paradigm shifts and the possible future(s) of the NDR. In this regard it is 5 important to note Blade Nzimande’s (2006) assertion: “the character, content and direction of the NDR are of fundamental importance to our alliance”. This thesis proposes that the character, content and direction of the NDR are of fundamental importance to all having a substantial interest in South Africa. 6 OPSOMMING Die Nasionaal-Demokratiese Revolusie (NDR) is die sentrale ideologie van die regerende drieledige alliansie bestaande uit die ANC, die SAKP en COSATU. Binne hierdie klasse-alliansie, wat in die stryd teen apartheid gevorm is, is Kommuniste, Sosialiste, (swart-) Nasionaliste, Neo-Liberaliste en Pan-Afrikaniste, verenig teen die vyand genaamd “kolonialisme van ’n spesiale soort” (of apartheid soos dit deur die NDR gedefinieer is) en dié stelsel se nalatenskap van voortslepende ekonomiese uitbuiting en ongelykheid. Sedert 2005 het ernstige divisies binne die eens monolitiese breë bevrydingsbeweging na vore gekom, en tydens die Polokwane-konferensie van 2007 is die Neo- liberaliste oftewel “die 1996 klasprojek” ten gunste vanʼn strenger, meer sosialistiese interpretasie van die NDR verwerp. In 2012 is optrede vir ʼn “nasionaal demokratiese samelewing” in Suid-Afrika, in ooreenstemming met die grondbeginsels van die NDR, die wekroep. Dié samelewing sal berus op ʼn aktiewe burgery, ingelyf op alle vlakke by (politieke) strukture en funksies. Dit word in die vooruitsig gestel dat die party (die ANC) waarby die inlywing sal plaasvind en sy geassosieerde werksaamhede die poort tot ontwikkeling, gesondheidsorg, onderwys, en volhoubare en veilige gemeenskappe sal wees. Hierdie beginsel is ontleen aan Mao Zedong se China waar die (“Mass Line”) Massalinie-beginsel aanvanklik ontwikkel is, en aan “kaderontwikkelingstrategieë” wat so ʼn invloed op elke burokratiese instelling in Suid-Afrika het. Laasgenoemde beginsel is afkomstig uit die Viëtnam van die 1950’s. As sulks is die NDR ʼn versameling van verskeie ideologiese beginsels. Dit is noodsaaklik dat die ideologie en sy voorafgaande ideologieë en teorieë, asook die verskillende denkskole binne die NDR, ontleed word ten einde insig in die besluite wat die regering van Suid-Afrika neem, te verskaf, asook in drieledige alliansie-politiek, faksie-politiek binne die breë “liberationist-church” beweging, en van beleidsbesluite voortstuwend vanuit Suidelike Afrika na die VN; ekonomiese beleide en die moontlike nasionalisering van myne en besighede, militêre besluite en wapensskandale. Dit is daarom die wetenskaplike oogmerk van hierdie proefskrif om ʼn rekonstruksie, interpretasie en evaluasie van die Nasionaal-Demokratiese Revolusie as ideologiese raamwerk binne die post-1994 Suid-Afrika te bied. Tot steun van hierdie probleemstelling is die sentrale teoretiese verklaring wat deur die proefskrif aangebied word, dat die NDR die fundamentele ideologie van die ANC, die drieledige alliansie in Suid-Afrika en die geassosieerde breë bevrydings organisasies vorm. Binne die ideologie word ʼn visie van die onregverdige verlede, die onaanvaarbare hede en die utopiese toekoms vervat, bestaande uit ʼn kern van fundamentele onveranderlike norme en ʼn aanpasbare toepassingskonteks wat, soos ʼn lewende organisme, deurlopend by ʼn veranderende omgewing aanpas wat uiteindelik die Suid-Afrikaanse politiek in teorie en in uitvoering, sal domineer. Die probleemstelling van die tesis word in Hoofstuk 2 ondersoek deur die rekonstruksie van radikale denke as ʼn ideologiese raamwerk; in Hoofstuk 3 deur die rekonstruksie van die revolusionêre tradisies en teorieë wat tot die formulering van die NDR bygedra het; in Hoofstuk 4 deur die rekonstruksie en interpretasie van die historiese onwikkelings gang van die NDR binne Suid-Afrika; in Hoofstuk 5 deur die rekonstruksie en interpretasie van die NDR en sy analitiese dimensie; in Hoofstuk 6 deur die rekonstruksie en interpretasie van die NDR en sy normatiewe 7 dimensie; in Hoofstuk 7 deur die rekonstruksie en interpretasie van die NDR en sy strategiese dimensie en in Hoofstuk 8 deur die evaluering van die ideologie van die NDR asook deur perspektiewe op die toekomsvan die NDR te bied. Gedurende die studie hierbo beskryf, het verskeie faktore aan die lig gekom. Stellig van die belangrikste is in Hoofstukke 4 en 8 beskryf, en handel oor paradigmaverskuiwings en die moontlike toekoms- ontwikkelings van die NDR. Dit is belangrik om in die opsig kennis te neem van die woorde van Blade Nzimande (2006): “die karakter, inhoud en koers van die NDR is van fundamentele belang vir ons alliansie”; dié tesis argumenteer
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