“DERROTAR O GOVERNO PLUTOCRATA DO ANC-SAC
FORA COM OS COLABORACIONISTAS!”
Ligação directa à África do Sul:
“For the entire negotiations process and strike in the public sector, the ANC-SACP leaders in our unions have failed the working class! They must be removed now! First they postponed our struggle until after the world cup; then they lowered our wage demand to a miserable 8.6%; the Cosatu leaders were the ones to sell out even this demand by offering the government of millionaires/ billionaires that they should now only give us 7.5%; now they are roaming around the country trying to demoralise the strike and saying that we don’t understand the government ‘offer’.
The Cosatu leaders have no problem with over R100 bn being handed over within a short space to the imperialists who built the 2010 stadiums over our exploitation; the trade union leaders have no problem with the imperialists getting R1000 bn for the eskom scam ‘build’ programme (for power stations that we do not need); they have no problem with the high interest loans from the imperialist banks that get paid first by government, a total of R320 bn in 4 years; they have no problem that the government cannot even find the less than R2bn for our increase; among these leaders paid themselves a 100% increase last year while we were buckling under high food, transport, education and electricity prices. These leaders have ignored our mandate for a general strike against the high electricity increases.
These leaders insult us by saying we do not understand the government’s ‘offer’. We understand very well the hunger and starvation while our leaders live in mansions in Sandton. What the leaders are saying is that they will ignore the workers’ mandate for an immediate solidarity general strike. In other words, we cannot depend on this leadership to fight for our demands- they are collaborators with the capitalists; they must be removed now in order for the general strike against the imperialist, starvation policy of the government to go ahead! We must remove the enemy with our ranks! Enough!
We are not weak, we are strong!
The motor sector is out on strike for a 20%, many the mineworkers are coming on strike for 11%; all industrial sectors in Cosatu voted to come out in solidarity with us. We are not weak, we are strong. We must not allow the leaders to divide and demoralise us. After being so arrogant for a number of days, why did Mantashe come begging to the Cosatu CEC for a solution to the strike? He was sent because his imperialist masters were worried that the entire working class was going to unite against their starvation policy.
The President, back from his business trip for seeking profits for Anglo American in China, was instructed by the capitalists to try to end the strike before the unity of the entire working class happens in a general strike. No, we are not weak but strong!
The path to the general strike
- First, we must unify our ranks and kick out the class collaborationist leaders; we need a revolutionary leadership, based on the strike committees; the immediate task is to convene a national meeting of the strike committees, which must include delegates from the entire industrial working class, to set a date for the solidarity general strike
- We must broaden the strike committees in each area to include employed workers from every street, delegates from the unemployed, delegates from the soldiers, delegates from the immigrant workers; let the street and block committees of the 1980’s rise again; but this is not enough, broader strike committees must be set up in every workplace to prepare for the solidarity general strike; we need to call mass meetings of parent teachers students to spread the strike committees!
- We need to immediately consider the question of workers self-defence committees under the direct control of the strike committees (we see how the police have acted in our strike and how they act against our brothers and sisters in Mozambique)
- There needs to be strike committees in every industrial area, mine, shop, farm, every working class area that sends delegates to regional and national worker summit, to centralise the demands of the working class and to drive the general strike;
Proposed demands:
- R6000 minimum monthly wage; 8.6% increase, R1000 housing allowance; equalization of medical aid benefits;
- limit the salaries of managers. MP’s and government ministers to that of an average skilled worker;
- the right of instant recall of any representative, be they councilor, MP or cabinet Minister
- equal pay for equal work (including immigrant workers)
- share all the work among all who can work, without loss of pay; ie an end to unemployment
- wages should increase when prices increase;
- Expropriate all imperialist assets, the mines and banks, without compensation, place them under workers control;
- Expropriate the entire food sector, from the farms, to the food manufacturers to the giant retailers, without compensation, and place them under workers control;
- expropriate the private health care sector, without compensation, place under workers control; this will open the doors to free quality health care for all;
- renationalize, without compensation, all sectors that have been privatized, including the coal, iron ore and steel sectors;
- Down with the brutal, antiworker regimes of Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho; we call on all workers in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, in Swaziland and Lesotho to join in the general strike; for the setting up of strike committees in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Lesotho, which are nothing but slave camps for imperialism; the very same imperialism that keeps the working class in South Africa in chains; Down with the anti-worker regimes across Africa.
A general strike, not a stayaway
Why the SACP promotes stayaways is to atomise and isolate the strikers so that it is easier for the leadership to sellout the struggle; a stayaway opens workers to victimization as they are now isolated individuals instead of being a united mass; a stayway demobilizes that masses instead of posing a united stance against the capitalists; a stayaway opens the door for scab labour to be used by the bosses; a strike is a contest for power- a strike/occupation would confront the bosses with a united mass at each workplace- the question of the who the real power is, is placed on the agenda- ie the power of the workers who produce the wealth, or the parasitic capitalists who rule through the brute force of state power; if workers stay at home it gives the bosses strength; they have the capacity to wait out the strike.
A stayaway is a self-imposed lockout, a pacifist tactic, always tipping the struggle ultimately in the favour of the capitalists and therefore the imperialists. A general strike/occupation immediately poses the question of strike and factory committees; from here grows the basis for workers power. That is why the SACP so violently opposes real general strikes and at best will only support stayaways to tire out the masses and then reach a settlement that keeps the working class in various levels of slavery.
The capitalists-imperialists are the ones who are starving us; that is why we need to confront them and their agents in government; that is why we need a general strike, not a stayaway. No more negotiations behind our backs! In short, the ANC-SACP has become the instrument of holding back the struggle for even the most basic democratic demands of the masses. At the same time, the only reliable force to drive these basic demands is the working class! That is why the centre of the indefinite general strike has to be the achievement of the basic democratic demands which can only be accomplished by the working class in power- no other class will stand up for this.
Break with the ANC-SACP government of millionaires/billionaires! Out the pro-capitalist leaders! Forward to the general strike! Forward to workers power! Down with a Labour party that the fake left and Cosatu bureaucrats are preparing for the imperialists to help chain the working class once more! Forward to a revolutionary working class party as part of refounding a revolutionary International!
Secção sul-africana da Fracção Trotsquista Leninista.”
Via Revista Rubra
Upa, upa. Parece uma secção de amigos do Pieter Willem Botha.
Vá… vá… vai lá ouvir a voz da classe operária.
Já ouvi aqui: http://www.sacp.org.za/main.php?include=docs/pr/2010/pr0825.html
No dia em que os trotskistas forem a classe operária, as galinhas vão ter dentes.
Só espero que a África do Sul não se torne um novo Zimbabwe, antes conhecido pelo celeiro da África Austral, e agora importa até os produtos mais básicos da alimentação ou vive da caridade internacional.
Na África do Sul, a nomenklatura do ANC está a trair as justas espectativas da maioria da população negra, explorada e humilhada durante séculos de segregação, e está a dar um péssimo exemplo para toda a África Austral.
Se os emigrantes negros – alguns já com descendência – foram e são úteis ao desenvolvimento da Europa, os países da África Austral (já todos com governos de maioria negra!) têm que compreender e aceitar que os brancos (afrikänders, portugueses, britânicos e outros) são indispensáveis ao desenvolvimento e progresso daqueles países.
Se um dia a população branca fôr obrigada a fugir da África do Sul, como aconteceu no Zimbabwe, dirigido por esse ditador inqualificável e carrasco do seu próprio povo que é o Robert Mugabe, não tenho dúvidas que a fome, a guerra civil e a tragédia atingirão toda aquela região.
Os EUA e a Europa passam todo o santo dia a olhar para o Irão ou para o Médio Oriente, e ainda não viram que a África do Sul está a entrar num processo muito complexo.
Os trabalhadores ganham pouco; a população negra (a maioria) continua a viver em casebres insalubres e a criminalidade violenta alastra para níveis muito críticos.
Portugal, tem que mandar a Europa às malvas, e faria muito bem em
virar-se para a África Austral (Angola, Moçambique, África do Sul, Namibia, Zimbabwe,etc.), com os seus trabalhadores, empresas, cooperação e tecnologia.
Se nós estivermos à espera da esmola dos alemães e dos franceses de certeza que vamos continuar a empobrecer alegremente.
“Despite their disruptive actions, across the Alliance and in government itself we have successfully built a major consensus. We have agreed upon on our five strategic priorities. We have agreed that to address these we need to place South Africa on to a new developmental growth path. (…) This was the context in which President Jacob Zuma’s state of national address to parliament in February this year called for us to place SA onto a new, developmental growth path. In his budget speech, Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, evoked the same central challenge.”
Nuno, obrigado pela dica. Tenho sobre este assunto muito mais dúvidas que certezas. Todas as ligações ajudam a perceber melhor o que se passa.
No entanto não vi lá nenhuma reflexão sobre a Greve Geral, nem virgula sobre Moçambique, que marcam de forma evidente o debate sobre o que fazer na região.
Esta passagem evidencia a ausência de qualquer debate sobre os próximos passos a dar no campo sindical (o apoio à greve da função pública é a única excepção) e deixam perceber que podes estar a ouvir outras galinhas da classe operária. Aquelas com a barriga cheia de milho, sabes?
«Upa, upa. Parece uma secção de amigos do Pieter Willem Botha.»
Criticar o governo do ANC equivale a ser amigo do Pieter Botha, ou escapou-me alguma ironia pelo caminho?
Caro Renato Teixeira: Face à deriva pluto-kleptocrática, à indigência e ao nepotismo tribal – que se infiltrou nas próprias famílias dos PR Mandela, Mbeki e Zuma…-só existe uma solução para a África do Sul: a Revolução! Grande texto, muito pedagógico e com os ítens para dar a ver como se pode aplicar na própria situação portuguesa infinitamente mais pobre e desamparada! Não se curve senão para apanhar pedras! Salut! Niet
André,
O Pic também considerava os comunistas e o ANC seus inimigos principais. Entre criticar o governo e considerar o ANC e o Partido Comunista como os principais inimigos vai uma grande diferença. O ANC é uma força diversa e plural que dirigiu a luta da maioria negra quando isso custava. Entre eles e os seus aliados há sectores firmemente de esquerda que criticam as derivas neoliberais. Basta ler os documentos do SACP para ver a contrestação à corrupção e o apoio à greve, para ver isso.
Seguramente o ANC e o SACP tem gente interessante. O que é que isso muda Nuno? Se apoiam e suportam o governo que os trabalhadores contestam nas ruas? Devem os trabalhadores sul-africanos ignorar o ANC e os seus aliados, por este ter gente interessante ou por ter dirigido a luta pela independência?
Nas últimas eleições o ANC e os seus aliados tiveram cerca de 66% dos votos, se a memória não me falha. Como de costume, confundes os desejos (mais de cinco trotskistas da linha justa da 9991 internacional) com a realidade.
Mudando de confusão, dá-me notícias da fortíssima extrema-esquerda do Brasil e da contestação crescente das massas populares ao governo Lula e aos seus aliados. É só para me rir um bocadinho.
Para ver a força do apelo que publicas, ajudava conhecer a poderosa força que faz o apelo. A Workers International Vanguard League só concorreu às eleições de 1999. O resultado foi tão brilhante (672 votos) que nunca mais lá voltaram. São estes os senhores que anunciam a queda do governo do ANC e o restaurar de uma nova internacional revolucionária em todo o mundo. Haja paciência.
O número nunca foi sinónimo de razão e este exemplo é disso bem revelador.