Jacob Zuma and the Left

JOHANNESBURG - In his voluminous study Towards Socialist Democracy, Martin Legassick, a leading protagonist of the revisionist school of South African history which utilises the analytical tools of Marxism to explore and interpret the past, dismisses President Jacob Zuma as an unlikely leader of the drive to establish socialism in South Africa.

Referring to the ideological differences that brought the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions into conflict with Thabo Mbeki, the former African National Congress and South African president, Legassick writes: "... they fled from Thabo Mbeki, only, unfortunately, to jump into bed with Jacob Zuma."

One of four Marxist theoreticians who were expelled from the ANC for seeking to prod the ANC-controlled South African Congress of Trade Unions into promoting working class interests more vigorously instead of serving as a mere signpost to the ANC guerrilla army Umkhonto we Sizwe, Legassick sees Zuma as a conservative on many issues but particularly on economic policy.

Legassick notes pointedly that Zuma is on record as saying on the economic policy debate in 2006, when Mbeki was still the incumbent president: "I am happy with ANC policy as it is." Legassick might have noted at the same time that Zuma, like Mbeki, deserted the SACP in the late 1980s when it was obvious that the Soviet Union and its Eastern Europe satellites were in the process of collapsing and, moreover, that Zuma kept his head well below the parapet during Mbeki's battles against the SACP and Cosatu in his first 6 years in national office.

A related point is that it was only after Mbeki dismissed him as South Africa's deputy president in June 2005 that Zuma and the leaders of the SACP and Cosatu formed an alliance of convenience, the basis of which is summed up in the aphorism: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Two deductions flow from these observations: firstly, that Zuma would not lead the ANC towards a socialist South Africa of his own volition and would, on the contrary, have to be persuaded and pressed into doing so by the SACP and Cosatu, and, secondly, that their coaxing and cajoling would inevitably invoke resistance from the more conservative black nationalist lobby in the ANC's national executive committee.

It might be noted en passant that, according to Jeremy Cronin, deputy general secretary of the SACP and probably its leading theoretician, Fidel Castro's Revolutionary Party was not committed to communism when it overthrew the Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista, in 1959 and only embraced communism after it established the new regime.

Cronin obviously hopes that the ANC may eventually undergo a similar political metamorphosis, except that he tends to talk about it happening gradually and naturally, rather than suddenly and dramatically in a kind of political epiphany.

It is in that context that the recent criticism of socialists in the ANC by Billy Matsetlha, a former director-general of the National Intelligence Agency, should be reviewed, subject to the warning that it would be a mistake to think that Masetlha is alone when he warns that it would be a fatal mistake for the ANC to adopt a socialist agenda and thereby blur the distinction between itself and its communist allies in the tripartite alliance.

Nor is it surprising that Masetlha's attack on communists for aspiring to hijack the ANC for its own purposes came in the wake of the reported criticism of Blade Nzimande, the general secretary of the SACP, by Nomvula Makonyane, the premier of Gauteng:

She accused Nzimande of double-dipping, which, politically-speaking, may be defined as taking two different positions on the same issue, depending on the capacity in which the assessment is made. In Nzimande's case, he can offer one assessment in his capacity as a cabinet minister in the Zuma administration and another in his capacity as the general secretary of the SACP.

It is not amiss to recall that Peter Mokoba, the fiery former president of the ANC Youth League, questioned the ANC's wisdom of allowing the members of the SACP to join the ANC without resigning from the SACP. He pointed out that it gave SACP members the opportunity of participating in ANC closed policy debates in their capacities as ANC members and then discussing the same issue in their capacities as SACP members and, if they so wished, to take a contradictory position on them.

Perhaps Fikile Mbalula, another former ANC Youth League president, has adopted a similarly critical position on the dual membership debate in his reported preliminary manoeuvres to oust Gwede Mantashe from his position as ANC secretary-general at the ANC's national conference in 2012. Mantashe is, of course, the national chairman of the SACP as well as the ANC secretary-general and thus open to criticism as another double-dipper.

It is interesting - and perhaps significant - to recall that no less a person than Nelson Mandela is on record as admitting soon after his release from prison in 1990 that sooner or latter there would have to be a parting of the ways between the ANC, as a multi-class organisation embracing a diversity of interests, and the communists within its ranks dedicated to establishing worker hegemony and, ultimately, a classless society.

Seen through that prism, Masetlha may be saying that the time to diverge and for the ANC and the SACP to separate has come.

Former Mbeki confidante and millionaire businessman, Saki Macozoma, has provided an interesting perspective on the disparate alliance that coalesced around Zuma after his dismissal: while noting that its hostility to Mbeki provided it with cohesion and purpose, it would, he predicted, be vulnerable to disintegration and internal division once it achieved its purpose.

Macozoma's observation raises the question of whether the anti-Mbeki alliance has begun to unravel, now that it has triumphed by ousting Mbeki and, as important, securing the installation of Zuma as the leader of the ANC and the head of the government and the state.

The present situation is a demanding one for Zuma. He may, of course, seek to avoid having to chose one faction rather than another and attempt instead to hold together the diverse components of the coalition that brought him to power. The problem, however, is that Zuma tends to prevaricate in a bid to appease the competing factions, a strategy that tends to alienate more than it placates.

To re-phrase Abraham Lincoln's famous aphorism: "You can please all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all of the people all the time.

As Brian Pottinger observes in his book The Mbeki Legacy, the conflict between the ANC under Mbeki and its communist allies in the tripartite alliance over the market-friendly macro-economic policy of Growth, Development and Redistribution (Gear) has not been resolved by Zuma's rise to power.

It has, instead, been "internalised within the ANC," as manifest by the appointment to cabinet positions of the SACP's Rob Davies (trade and industry) and Cosatu's Ebraham Patel (economic development) and, at the opposite end of the ideological continuum, former finance minister Trevor Manuel (planning minister).

Malesela Maleka, the SACP spokesperson, is dismissive of the attacks on the communists and their fellow travellers in the ANC, declaring that earlier generations of anti-communists in the ANC have been marginalised in, or even expelled from, the ANC.

He is obviously unaware of Josiah Gumede, who served as ANC president in the late 1920s, but who was voted out of office in 1930 after he adopted a strongly pro-communist line following his visit to the Soviet Union and his description of Moscow as the "New Jerusalem, as well as his endorsement of the SACP objective of establishing a "Native Republic" in South Africa.

In those days, of course, communism was seen by many people around the world as an ideology of hope, as distinct from its reputation today as a failed ideology that has led to ruin and oppression across the globe, and seen, for that reason, by millions of people as "the dead hand of the past."

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The present situation is a demanding one for Zuma. He may, of course, seek to avoid having to chose one faction rather than another and attempt instead to hold together the diverse components of the coalition that brought him to power. The problem, however, is that Zuma tends to prevaricate in a bid to appease the competing factions, a strategy that tends to alienate more than it placates."

Patrick Laurence

 

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Zuma and left . Melema has the power , Zuma doesn't .Zuma does what Melema tells him to do , like a little school boy , or does Zuma allow Melema to say what Zuma is thinking . ITS THE AFRICAN WAY , LOOK NORTH , MUGABE ETC . by Dilligaf on October 23 2009, 01:34 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

"the dead hand of the past." A Leopard keeps his spots but we have a Chameleon people pleaser. Will he fracture from factions? Kill the goose that lays the eggs ? Fill beggar bowls to be a beggar nation ?. Who will win ? Ask future Pres.Malema, our owl of . .more wisdom. . .less by mv2997 on October 23 2009, 07:21 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

laurence Another excellent piece by the last true journalist in South Africa. by witbooi on October 23 2009, 08:02 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Malema and Zuma. It is a serious mistake to under estimate the power of Malema. Malema represents a huge section of backward racist and opportunistic Stalinist within the ANC. He is that groups windsock, who can safely test public opinion. Zuma is a political opportunist . .more of note. . .less by Observer on October 23 2009, 08:37 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Zuma and his Allies The dual membership of SACP and ANC was allowed because most whites who supported the ANC were communists! It created a Broederbond inside the ANC which gave it ideological direction and even control. The two-hat policy has been ubder criticism for . .more decades. It is now coming to a head and the Triple Alliance is now doomed. Zuma used the SACP like Hitler did - and once he got to power, he abandoned and even eliminated his left-leaning Brownshirts. The SACP has become expendible and there is no way that it can twist the ANC round to pursue socialism. Zuma is committed to being the shocktrooper of big US business un Africa and will gladly be its "peace-keeper" in Africa to deepen its economic penetration. He has never relented on the arms deal and has assured foreign investors that the ANC's economic policy will not change. He is actually an Mbekiite without the quotes. The momentum to build a left coalition is growing and the jewel in the crown - COSATU - will become more and more independent of the ANC. Let us hope the SACP realises that its alliance is useless. . .less by Mafirofiro on October 23 2009, 08:44 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

It's a myth There is not a politician in the SACP who truly believes that the principles of communism are practically possible at ground level. Imagine what would happen if S.A. became a communist or socialist state. Industry would evaporate within 5 years. . .more Who will be responsible for the distribution of the little wealth that would be left? The government? C'mon, most of them are merely politicians - not engineers, economists, or at all technically capable. The working people would soon realise that they have dug their own grave, and, as history teaches us, the system would be violently overthrown. . .less by It's a myth on October 23 2009, 09:01 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@Mafirofiro "Let us hope the SACP realises that its alliance is useless." HUH? Look where the alliance has got the SACP....right onto the top echelons of Government without having to contest a single election! That's what I call using real useful . .more idiots to fight your battles for you. And who knows what other spoils are yet to come whilst the said useful idiots are distracted fighting other battles too? . .less by mpho on October 23 2009, 09:29 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

ANC ANC have failed to create jobs and economic growth. Bafana coach was fired for less. Why does ANC get another chance ? Give another party a chance to create jobs, growth, sort out crime, health education etc - ANC have tried and tried again and failed and . .more failed again, how much longer can they be given ? . .less by Thabo on October 23 2009, 09:30 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Communist rhetoric The communists generally seem long on rhetoric, but short on substance. They love to spout the same old same old, but are unable to explain how they plan to make communism work here when no one else has been able to do so. Even China, the oft-named . .more bastion of communist runs largely on capitalist principles when it comes to the economy. The communist principle they seem to hang onto with a death-grip is the oppression of the masses. How does the SACP plan not to drag everyone (except the leadership and senior party members) down to the lowest common denominator as happens in other communist countries? What are they going to do differently? Or are they simply blindly following the utopian ideal because in principal it's a fantastic way to live, assuming that things will just work out? There certainly seems to be a lot of conflict between the proponents of socialism and communism and those who're pushing capitalism, but those proponents of socialism and communism have been handed significant power and more and more they and the truly ignorant with a gift for nothing more than rallying the mob seem to be running the show. . .less by CTheB on October 23 2009, 09:39 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Zuma and the Left. It is interesting to see the gradual splintering of the Alliance despite vigorous denials. Maybe by 2012, COSATU and SACP will have the guts to contest the next elections without riding on the shirt-tails of the A.N.C. The SACP is a a tiny section . .more of the electorate and will be smashed and I suspect that COSAYU members will be ambivalent about their support. . .less by Erewhon on October 23 2009, 09:49 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

BUILT ON SAND YES, Malema will become President one day, because the blind, uneducated masses will vote him in. the collective corporate C*** sucking will come back to haunt. its all built on sand and it wont stand. by msholozi on October 23 2009, 09:50 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

cosatu should withdraw from tri- alliance Educators are less paid professionals in the public sector becase SADTU is the the affliates of the ruling party. Teachers are still going to suffer so long as it l affiliate to COSATU. Comrades lets come up with other strategies to emancipate the fellow . .more educators who are earning matokomane. Recently the dept is going to deduct the strike days of 2007 because of this increament to be recieved months end. So long as Cosatu remain in allaince with ANC teacher will suffer because even those comrades in national level are paving their way to parliement in 2014. Where actually our country is going to bewhen is led by people who only feel the pain when the arrow poison sunk into their body but they laugh when somebody cries. COSATU MUST WITHDRAW FROM THIS ALLIANCE OR ELSE EDUCATORS LEAD SADTU NOT TO EXIST. AMANDLA comrade and Viva the spirit of togetherness and away with selfishness. Viva Vavi viva . .less by fulufhelo on October 23 2009, 10:15 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

One South Africa for all South Africans Initially(before polokwane) we had only 2 camps (Mbheki's and JZ's) within the ANC. Could some one please tell me how many potential camps are developing within the ANC today... because of the indifferences emanating within JZ's camp. I suggest that . .more COSATU should just go and represent workers, SACP stands by its social policies away from the ANC, hence give ANC space to implement its "national"/capital policies. Not that social policies don't have space in South Africa, but not as much as capital policies based on the current international landscape. . .less by Jacob Mbheki on October 23 2009, 10:32 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Old discredited Laurence Shallow assessment, exposing your lack of depth - betraying all reason/curtailed objectivity. Time to retire Pat! by us on October 23 2009, 10:45 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Nowhere... ...is there any mention of the breakaway Cope! Do individual members of Cope still have influence in the ANC or even within the SACP or Cosatu? Does Zuma still want to consider a merger / takeover of Inkatha? Why is the DA battling to get any black votes? by Piet Pompies on October 23 2009, 11:01 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Malema Manto Mbeki Mugabe Murder Corruption Crime Violence Poverty Unemployment Arms Corruption Shai... Those names and thoughts spring to mind when thinking of South Africa and you decide if SA has a future. Were/are these people good for the country? Yes or No? Is there out of control unemployment crime corruption murder poverty arms corruption? The . .more answer to this question in my opinion is a resounding yes. . .less by Realistic View on October 23 2009, 11:09 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

MMMMMCCVPUACS... If u cant stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Dont u think Canada or Australia are good alternatives? by Themba on October 23 2009, 11:15 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

This is what happens when you do deals with the devil Zuma sold his soul to Cosatu and the SACP so as to save his A*** - they now use him as a useful idiot to achieve their aims and are now playing him like a puppet on a string. At the right time he will be sidelined for the hardliners. Mandela's party is . .more heading towards becoming like Mugabe's party. Who are the wise ANC leaders who will stop this rot ? I am not seeing any. The clever ANC MP's have turned turned their political connections into huge wealth. The morons remain in politics and hang onto positions they are mostly unequipped to handle, happy enough with their million rand car and enough swill from the feeding trough to prevent them causing waves. The DA are increasing becoming a tower of strength and integrity when compared to the cesspool that the ANC is rapidly turning into. They can save the country, but only if the voters start to think about the consequences of their vote and wake up to what is happening. . .less by Sad Days on October 23 2009, 11:40 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@ Fuluphelo The only reason the ANC, COSATU and the SACP became allies was to win a majority vote in 1994. None of them could have done it alone. Yes, I agree that COSATU should secede from the tripartheid alliance. How could trade unionists ever think . .more that they could have a sincere and honest relationship with a royalists in the ANC? The SACP being the minority, "poor cousins" were also only in the alliance to add their numbers to a larger body. They too could never be a stand-alone political party of significance. It is time for a real democracy to work in SA. Let every party stand alone and be counted for what they can do for the population. Sadly, the current leaders would never have the guts to lift their snouts out of the trough long enough to think about the population.. The current unrest concerning mis-management in the municitpalities and government are absolute proof that "All the animals are equal, but the pigs are more equal.." ( Goerge Orwel - Animal Farm)...Continued . .less by Devil's Advocate on October 23 2009, 12:50 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@ Fuluphelo...Continued... This country has many, many good people ( Of all colours ) It's time they voted with their brains in gear, and elected a party ( Any party ) that would bring order and prosperity back for everyone who wanted to work... Sadly, our present politicians are . .more behaving just like the pigs in Animal Farm. Let's hope that change will be peaceful. . .less by Devil's Advocate on October 23 2009, 12:51 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

hogwash I think this article is all hogwash. Patrick Laurence, for all his intrigue and theory and smarmy language doesn't paint a very nimble picture of what's happening. I also think he is touched with naivety. by Henry Hutu on October 23 2009, 12:54 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Excellent article, but doesn't explain When will the ANC achieve liberation? I can understand the need for unity while it was outlawed and fighting to overthrow an unjust regime, but why must they cling together now? Just as a family reaches the stage when the kids leave home or a . .more university when a scholar graduates, surely the time has come to rejoice in the freedom they were given and allow the country to become a normal society, with parties of the left, right and centre. . .less by Theseus on October 23 2009, 14:11 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

ANC need Qualified advisors ANC need qualified advisors to sort out their mess as it has been proven they do not have the intellectual capital to efficiently run the government. by Thabo on October 23 2009, 14:20 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

The cracks are widening First, I'd like to commend Patrick for a well-written and well-researched article. Moneyweb has finally found a political journalist that impresses us with substance instead of plethora of racially charged vacuous articles. Second, I personally . .more believe that a split between the conservatives and labour willl be the best thing for democracy in SA. Almost all functioning democracies in the world have this split and it provides for healthy debate and choice for voters. It is time that our politics moved away from race and rather into a split of ideas. The ANC cannot be the party for all people when its supporters are so different in class and education. I just hope that the split occurs when we have a more educated middle class that can decide on their own political beliefs without being swayed by propagandaists like Julius Malema. I also believe that as the general level of education increases in our country, parties like the SACP will lose support. There isn't a properly functioning communist country in this world and even a labour party will have to move to the centre as driven by realities of communism and the economic viability of the country. . .less by Rainbow Warrior on October 23 2009, 16:38 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

ESKOM"S 45er's WILL DO THEM ALL IN!! Once the full unforseen HORRORS of ESKOM/NERSA's 200% price hikes have kicked in then the gloves will truly be off. Unemployment and retrenchments will skyrocket together with in conjuction with Malema's popularity. Malema is quite correct the . .more great unwashed in the squatter camps stretching from Mayfair station to Guguleta on the Cape Flats want UHURU. Julius will deliver that Uhuru, thanks to ESKOM amd their fellow travellers, NERSA. The revolution is now, withen months! . .less by ER on October 24 2009, 07:16 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

The country is well down the Zimbabwe road. Massive poverty exists so what do the ANC cabinet do? They buy a few Mercedes and BMW cars each at over R 1 million per car and book into hugely expensive 5 star Hotels for weeks. And the poor hungry masses will still vote ANC. What is it with these black . .more people? Can someone explain this thinking? Sipho? SABC Eskom SAA Telkom Malema Racism Corruption Crime... A huge cabinet and government which costs taxpayers a fortune and lets agree it is completely useless apart from SARS and Finance. . .less by Foregin Investor on October 24 2009, 16:40 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Told you so I said , why the phuk do you vote anc , TOLD YOU SO , its the african way , RSA is phuked under black rule . TOLD YOU SO , 4 YEARS AGO AND MORE . by Dilligaf on October 25 2009, 00:19 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Political prostitutes, all of them! And they will all come very short. What did Zuma say a while ago, something about the ANC ruling until Jesus comes.... Its going to happen soon, I can feel it in my bones. The ANC is about to implode and it is likely to be very messy as . .more the comrades duck and dive and wheel and deal. . .less by Mick on October 26 2009, 13:04 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Why nationalise? Obviously to help the poor. But comrade deployment will make nationalisation a failure. SACP and COSADTU look at the business community as the enemy, because the only thing stronger than the government is the private sector. If the private sector . .more leaves this country, the economy collapses. And obviously the private sector is run by mainly whites. Now you know why the SACP wants nationalisation so badly. Be strong president Zuma!!! Dont give in to them. You will destroy the country. . .less by Patriot on October 26 2009, 14:57 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Jacob Juma I would first start by saying I don't like anc criticts but I would like to coment Patrick Laurence for the good & well reseached article, one can see that is is not a fly by night article or just an article to criticize the government but a an objective . .more article, SA needs more of these article from the media house to build the country. keep it up man . .less by Sellomp on October 26 2009, 15:14 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

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