Capitalist greed

"A party that is not confident in itself cannot win the confidence of the masses. Without a strong party leadership, having the power to act promptly and direct the activities of the members, a revolutionary party cannot exist", Vladimir Lenin,1908

Recently an unusual story broke in the media, especially TV. It was about a wealthy American dentist and part-time hunter who killed a much loved or should I say, celebrated lion in Zimbabwe National Park.

Reason?

Pursuit for trophy hunting.

This indeed enraged animal rights groups both in the U.S. and Zimbabwe alike to an extent that there was a call for his extradition. The irony of the call is that all of a sudden there was united faith in a highly vilified Zimbabwean justice system. This single incident in itself, though not isolated, is a case in point of the destructive nature of capitalism.

This specific killing of a lion, I would argue, symbolises a classic example of crass materialism in practice and the vile nature of capitalist morality. The destruction of the environment, plunder of resources, cultural and political dominance by powerful countries are all threads of a modern day imperialism.

Forget about big political lexicon and extravagant theories. The simple analogy is that if the capitalist thesis prevails the communist antithesis would be a natural response. Communists would continue to assert and maintain the argument that capitalism does not have a human face in all its manifestations.

The illustration of the hunter as a protagonist in this capitalist episode of ego, selfishness and greed serves to warn the opponents and vociferous critics of the SACP, that for as long as the world is not a better, safer and egalitarian place to live in, there is no question about the relevance of Marxism. Our Marxism is not about dogma, sterile theory, revolutionary nostalgia or historical or cultural sentiment. Ours is a living philosophy that guides us in firmly responding to world's injustices.

The SACP's raison d'etre and objectives are made salient in our 10th Congress Discussion Document entitled "Our Marxism". The document asserts, among others, that "our belief is that the struggle for a socialist transition is not about a simple choice between reform or revolution, but a challenge to combine reform and revolution in a sustained mass based transformational struggle." I would like to contend that most of the discourses that ensue within the liberation movement miss this simple dialectics.

Whether we reflect on the National Democratic Revolution, National Development Plan, the Freedom Charter, the role of the judiciary, the media and even questioning in a bizarre way the relevance and role of each other's organisations, we often fail to link the notions of reform, transformation and revolution, as well as contextualising the role of the masses.

Let's take a lesson for an example from our revolutionary icon Nelson Mandela on his less talked about reflections on the Freedom Charter. Mandela says there are two things we should bear in mind when we execute the Freedom Charter. First we have to identify the social forces that propel it. Second we must 'educate, empower and mobilise those social forces to struggle for it". His point is that we can't ponder carrying out any radical policy or programme based on the Freedom Charter without 'consciountising' the masses about it so that they remain mobilised on its defence. But do we do that or propose alternatives to Mandela's perspective?

No, instead 'comrade experts' outperform each other on who is still loyal to the Freedom Charter and who can best implement it. This leads to a futile debate that does not in any way appeal or resonate with the wishes of the people.

Our Party cynics need to be reminded of the historical occurrence that happened as early as 1927 during the contestation between Josiah Gumede and Plexley ka Isaka Seme for ANC leadership along the nationalist and socialist ideological lines. That nearly split and weakened the formative organisation. The lesson learnt was that the medley of nationalist and socialist ideologies are the 'two wings that make the liberation movement to fly'. Hence the ANC even today recognises and even celebrate this ideological co-existence.

Now, we were asked by our adversaries paradoxically on the eve of the SACP's 94th anniversary to ignore history and thus turn a blind eye on our rich heritage and the institutional memory that provide compass and landscape to solve our current political challenges. Lest we are accused of existence only for historical significance. If we succumb to this proposition how different are we going to be from the DA, COPE and EFF to mention but a few who have no history and collective wisdom to show?

Those who question the relationship between the SACP and the ANC must tell us of any constitutional meeting of the ANC that resolved SACP members must no longer simultaneously join the ANC and vice-versa. And that when the long standing principle of dual membership continues how it then constitutes factionalism?

After all what is factionalism because we seem to coin everyone we disagree with as factionalists?

If lobbying for positions leads to open "horse-trading" taking place within the constitutional provisions of the movement and no underhand deals are made or money exchanged; how is that called factionalism?

Strangely Trevor Manuel's labelling of the Party as factional came after the recent Alliance Summit that heaped praise on the SACP as the most stable and factional-free component of the Alliance.

The ANC is often referred to as a 'broad church' or an 'omnibus' because it embraces all schools of progressive ideological thought. Granted, but it would be prudent to take a leaf from the ANC's 2011 January 08 statement that states: "Whilst others may change allegiances and their mission with shifting sands of illusion, the ANC remains consistent. We adapt to and move with the times, but our mission remains the creation of a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society. The ANC is the most consistent entity for transformation of our society". I reckon communists and non-communists alike need to heed to this profound call, lest they vacillate and think that they have arrived at the final destination of an omnibus like Manuel does.

It is crucial for us as members of the SACP not to get distracted in our revolutionary course by all the brouhaha emanating from the political doldrums. Our Marxism is about knowing on which side of the fence or the class divide we are. And this is an ongoing, multi-dimensional and protracted struggle. Happy 94th anniversary SACP!

Walter Mothapo is a member of the Provincial Executive Committee of the SACP in Limpopo, and writes in personal capacity.

The article first appeared in Umbsebezi an online journal of SACP