Comrade Chairperson
NUMSA Shop stewards;
Esteemed guests;
Dear delegates and participants;
Comrades, ladies and gentlemen:
It might be very confusing or difficulty to address a delegation of this character given a blank cheque by comrade Musa; however I will take this opportunity as an honor to me.
As Msholozi will be giving state of the nations address, millions of South Africans are patiently waiting for new promises for better leaving conditions.
Comrades February is the month for lovers let us all make sure that we respond positively in that regard. Most importantly let us love our women/men beautiful or handsome as they are.
Let me reflect on women that has contributed positively to the emancipation of our country; Lilian Ngoyi, Mama Abertina Sisulu, Gertrude Shope, Helen Joseph, Sophie de Bruyn, Ellen Khuzwayo, Nomzamo Madikizela-Mandela and many more comrade. These are all heroes and it’s important to know our history in this context as we are determining our destination. Talking about woman/men let us refrain on engaging on any form of abusive tendencies against each other.
Comrades it’s an honor to stand here and reflect on one of the fundamental lessons that mama Albertina Sisulu thought us “when it comes to revolution we must be open and be frank to each other, reflect the ground lost and the ground covered” regarding this quote we must not be shy to ask ourselves questions such as; where we from? Where are we now? Where are we going to? And how are we going arrive there?
The character of unions and the working class
let me open this address with favorite quotes from Vladimir Lenin when he says “without a revolutionary theory, there can be no real revolutionary movement” however in the same vigor further more I would like to borrow some words from one of Germany political philosophers, Karl Marx has this to say “Practice without Theory is blind, Theory without practice is sterile”
I want to reaffirm what I have said in my term of office as PEC member of SASCO; that Unions are our last hope in this political mess that we are experiencing today. Self accumulation and self enrichment has become a norm where millions of our people continue to die because of hunger whereas the rich men across the road die of too much money. Comrades the working class remain the only class that is capable of changing any material conditions.
Among many one of our heroes, comrade Joe Slovo has this to say on trade unions “A trade union is the prime mass organization of the working class. To fulfill its purpose, it must be as broad as possible and fight to maintain its legal status. It must attempt, in the first place, to unite, on an industrial basis, all workers (at whatever level of political consciousness) who understand the elementary need to come together and defend and advance their economic conditions. It cannot demand more as a condition of membership. But because the state and its political and repressive apparatus is an instrument of the dominant economic classes, it is impossible for trade unions in any part of the world to keep out of the broader political conflict”
In the same context of Slovo it becomes clear that, the very the workers’ economic struggle cannot be separated from the struggle against national domination however so it becomes vital to maintain the distinction between trade union politics and overall revolutionary leadership.
We must always put our personal interests aside and make sure we put the interests workers first, a failer to that will be a clear political suicide.
Capitalism and capitalist
The collapse of soviet union gave a birth to the current crises of capitalism that we are experiencing today, in reality the fall of soviet union mark the fall of Marxism-Leninism as a governing ideology, and the only two remaining Marxist-Leninist governments today are those of North Korea and Cuba including Venezuela. The ruthless economic exploitation by capitalists or land lords to workers continues to ravage any future for workers to be free economically.
In 2008 we witnessed the failer of capitalism, but capitalists continue to insist that we should continues using this governing system of which I strongly disagree with that. In the same context of capitalism, Labor brokers are clear example of slavery of the day in South Africa.
Corruption
Many liberation movements in Africa are on a dier state because of corruption cancer, I’m still not sure either ANC is going to be the victim of the same circumstances.
The fall of Colonialism and apartheid system in South Africa gave a birth on many tendencies that we are witnessing today, however so I want to further argue and say apartheid was not just race related issue, it was capitalist orientated from the very beginning, e.g Grant for old people
The Unity and cohesion
The unity of shop stewards is paramount at all material time; all shop stewards must learn from a Greek wise slave lived during 6th century BC his name was Aesop when says “United we stand, divided we fall “ internal battles and politics of friendship within committees will forever open loopholes.
The ruling party and the ruling class
Many of our people continues to confuse these two terms “a Ruling party and a ruling class” we need to spend more time in explaining these two contradicting words.
Before I seat down let me reflect on politics of today in the ruling party.
Whereas we still think that discipline should come first in all members of MDM there are those who still think Anarchy is Activism particularly some individuals within the leadership of the ANCYL.
On International Politics
From Iraq to Afghanistan, There is a false knowledge that has been propagated that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction which was not true, subsequently Afghanistan was the victim of similar circumstances by western forces led by America, either it was because of the oil or it was revenge from George W Bush emanating from Gulf war, I don’t know similarly; Libya has fall in the same trap.
In closing Chair let me borrow the following words from book The Wretched of the Earth, written by Frantz Fanon “each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfil it, or betray it” in the same context in South Africa this generation have the same duty or obligation.
I thank you
Amandla!!!!!
Monwabisi Ncayiyana is member of ANCYL and ANC in Ward 24 Mosses MKZN
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