Majority Rule
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Government has dropped the ball on housing
Hamilton Petersen, Kariega
The Herald (South Africa)
11 Sep 2023
The news that more than 70 people died in the devastating blaze that rocked central Johannesburg on August 31 has left most people with a sense of shock and a feeling of pain and sadness for the families of the bereaved. Our sincerest condolences go…
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THE RIVER CLUB COURT RULING – AN IMPORTANT INTERIM VICTORY
In what can be considered a victory for the rights of indigenous Khoi and San people, Western Cape Deputy Judge President Patricia Goliath has interdicted the Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust (LLPT) from further construction earmarked for among other things, offices for multinational giant Amazon.com, at the River Club site in Observatory, Cape Town.
The Unity Movement has been a staunch supporter of the groups who have been struggling resolutely in what is not unlike a David vs Goliath battle to prevent an out-and-out capitalist exploitation of land which has significant heritage, cultural and environmental value. Needless to say, the developers have ridden roughshod over these sensitivities, and have offered some token gesture to try to allay concerns.
In typical style, the developers have attempted to legitimise their plans by co-opting a group of opportunists among the ranks of the affected groups who pose as “representatives of the people.” This group, styling itself the “First Nations Collective” (FNC) has tried to position itself as the true representatives of the people, but have convinced nobody.
But the struggle is far from over. The interdict does not call for the dismantling of work done so far. It does not require that the tons of concrete already cast on the site be demolished. It requires a review to be done of the relevant environmental and land-use authorisations by the City of Cape Town and the Provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning. And it requires “meaningful consultation with all affected First Nations people.”
The groupings engaged in the progressive struggle to prevent the development from going ahead include, among others, the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council and the Observatory Civic Association. Their court action has held up, at least for the moment, what is intended to be a R4.6 billion capitalist development.
As the Unity Movement, we welcome all victories, large and small, and are well aware that in this case, the battle will be a long and hard one. Something we should not lose sight of is that this is a victory-by-court-case, hardly a working class means of struggle! So we should see it only as a moral victory of sorts, since the court has ordered the capitalists to go and consult with the aggrieved parties. Who’s to know what the consultation process will yield? It is extremely doubtful that everything will end with the tons of concrete so far laid being broken down and the land restored to its former state. Thus, there is a strong possibility of a compromise solution. We might see some selling-out happening. The only way this could be prevented is through the determined efforts of a strong, united people’s movement, something like we saw at Xolobeni.
The Unity Movement will continue to support the struggle to prevent the capitalist desecration of this important piece of land.
Below is a section of a statement by the Unity Movement on 17 January 2022, in which Movement president Dr Basil Brown lambasts minister Lindiwe Sisulu for her hypocrisy on, among other things, the River Club property.
And then there is the matter of her heart bleeding for the indigenous people of this country. She says, “When it comes to crucial economic issues and property matters, the same African (her “House Negro”) cosies up with their elitist colleagues to sing from the same hymn book, spouting the Roman-Dutch law of property.” Yet, this is EXACTLY what she did when she was minister of water affairs and sanitation!
She occupied this post in the cabinet from May 2019 to August 2021. In this period, she disregarded the interests of the indigenous Khoi and San communities by uplifting the suspension of a Water Use License in favour of the developers of the highly contentious River Club development at the confluence of the Liesbeek and Black rivers in Observatory, Cape Town. She exercised ministerial discretion in favouring the applicants over the appellants, at least one of whom was an Indigenous Khoi council for whom the site is a reminder of indigenous resistance against colonial intrusion at the Cape, and one that is sacred for all South Africans for that reason.
The development of the River Club property began with the sale of the land in 2015 and resulted in approval of the rezoning of the property and the granting of an Environmental Authorisation for the development in 2020. A number of interested and affected parties, including organisations of Khoi/San Indigenous groups opposed the development on the basis of the harm the development would cause to the environment, the adverse impacts on heritage and the consequences of the development for our country’s climate change resilience. The site is part of an environmentally sensitive floodplain and an area sacred to the Khoi/San in terms of intangible heritage and memory. For someone who is attempting to pose as a fierce critic of “robbery of other people’s land,” and “the co-option and invitation of political powerbrokers to the dinner table … while they dine caviar with colonised capital,” the contradiction that “8% of the population control 80% of the land and its resources,” how is it that she hands the keys to a bunch of rich “white boys” (all 5 development’s directors are white men) who will house the headquarters of one of the biggest if not the biggest transnational corporation set up by the wealthiest billionaire in the world, to pursue private profiteering?
If she truly believes “land is where it all begins”, why did she uplift the suspension of a license which allows sacred land to be consolidated as a private benefit to rich capitalists?
And, most bizarrely, if she is really concerned about “where is the indigenous law?” why does she trample the rights of indigenous Khoi and San peoples who have appealed to stop this development?
Sisulu’s contradictions on the River Club, cosying up to what looks like the clearest example of “white monopoly capital” in her exercising of ministerial discretion on the matter are unambiguous examples of her hypocrisy.
MARCH 2022
RAMAPHOSA PROMISES
President Ramaphosa was very happy to announce in November last year, that local and international investment commitments had reached R663 billion. This is more than half-way to his original target of R1.2 trillion by 2023. So, should we all be shouting, “Hooray?”
Noted economist Raymond Parsons says on his website that “Economic growth in SA has virtually flat-lined. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently confirmed that the SA economy would experience ‘sluggish growth in 2020 – below population growth for the sixth consecutive year.’”
SOUTH AFRICA IN CRISIS - 2019
The country is in flames. Waves of crime and disorder are sweeping the land – but at the same time communities are rising up to express their anger and outrage at government’s failure effectively to address the safety and security needs of the most vulnerable elements in society; these include whole townships being held hostage by Read More …
MANTASHE CANCELS XOLOBENI VISIT - Ungenwe ngamanzi emadolweni
In one of DMR’s misleading media releases, Mr Gwede Mantashe now cancels his unwanted visit to Xolobeni.
The visit was planned on 25 April at Xolobeni Sports Ground.
The nice excuse provided was the rain. Let us point out: This rain was not a problem for the people of Xolobeni.
It was only a problem for the people that Mantashe as usual was prepared to bus in from outside in Quantums — something that for the third time in six months had started to be organised by the Mayor’s office of Mbizana municipality.
The DMR media release (attached) speaks of “a delegation of Cabinet Ministers, led by the Minister of Mineral Resources”.
We are asking “the leader of the Cabinet Ministers” Mr Gwede Mantashe and his DMR:
Who are these Cabinet Ministers who were prepared to be at Mantashe’s meeting in Xolobeni?
This question is for now more than enough for DMR to answer.
(NEW) UNITY MOVEMENT SUPPORTS AMADIBA CRISIS COMMITTEE
Amadiba Crisis Committee 2019-04-22: Appeal to democratic South Africans for support against Mr Mantashe coming to Xolobeni again on 25 April
The Mining Minister and Chair of ANC, Mr Gwede Mantashe, has again decided to come to Xolobeni on 25 April despite the Traditional Authority of Umgungundlovu has told him several times he is not welcome.
He plans to come despite what happened at his visits on 23 September and 16 January.
We attach DMR’s “invitation” and a letter in response where our lawyers urge Mantashe not to come.
[SEE DOCUMENT LIBRARY – Postion Statements ]
Whatever it is that is threatening Gwede Mantashe, the DMR or individuals in ANC, so that they want to risk a third “consultation”, we wish to advise Mr Mantashe to see this from the point of view of our community and reflect over of what his campaign might lead to.
We ask President Cyril Ramaphosa not to be silent any longer. His silence on this matter is scaring us.
We ask the SA Human Rights Commission, Church organisations, Amnesty International, political parties, youth leagues, student organisations and all progressive and democratic organisations to tell Mr Mantashe to stay away from Xolobeni. We want peace in our community.
Two weeks away from the National Elections, there must be better things to do for the Chair of ANC than coming to Xolobeni with horses, dogs and Tactical Response Teams to promote mining?
This community won the right to say No to the Xolobeni Mining Project on 22 November in the Pretoria High Court. The DMR appealed on 4 December, but did not proceed to ask for a court date. Our lawyers “helped” DMR with such a letter to the Judge last week. Let now the legal process go ahead.
Mantashe cannot hide behind the word “development”. He is not the Minister of economic development. As he knows very well, the Department of Economic Development is already working with us on the ground together with the Departments of Tourism and of Agriculture.
Our ancestors fought for this land in the 1950s against the state. We are still fighting for this land today, against the state. Land is our livelihood, our identity and our dignity. We will never give our land away.
Our land has not been protected by mistake.
ENDS
Amadiba Crisis Committee: amadibacrisiscommittee@gmail.com
Spokesperson: Nonhle Mbuthuma 0763592982 Chairperson: Sbusiso Mqadi 0634964074
Visit Amadiba Crisis Committee on Facebook
EDITORIAL - TIME FOR THE WORKERS PARTY?
The 6th national elections are due to take place on 8 May. More than 312 parties were registered with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to contest the elections nationally. However only a fraction of those are likely to actually contest the elections, given that a deposit of R200,000 is required to participate in the national poll and R45,000 to participate in Provincial elections.
THE UNRESOLVED NATIONAL QUESTION IN SOUTH AFRICA
Since its introduction into South Africa by the Communist Party during the 1920s, the debate over the “national question” has arguably been the central organizing framework of left-wing political thought. In this excellent collection, The Unresolved National Question in South Africa: Left Thought under Apartheid, the editors and contributors seek to reconstruct the way that different sections of the South African Left, broadly understood to include the major currents opposed to apartheid, conceptualized the national question and envisioned its resolution.
THE TEN POINT PROGRAMME
INTRODUCTION
South African society is in crisis. Across the length and breadth of the land, millions of people are trapped in a state of chronic poverty. For generations, the majority of South Africans have suffered a lack of access to the most basic facilities.
EDITORIAL COMMENT: “The NUMSA Moment”
At the time of writing we appear to have reached the crossroads regarding what some commentators have called the NUMSA moment. Clearly the right wing in COSATU has called for help from the ANC. Hence the emergence of Ramaphosa and Duarte as dishonest brokers who are cobbling some deal with Zwelinzima Vavi. They are also prepared to cook up a plot whose intention is to confuse the NUMSA leadership and take them for a ride until after the elections of May 7. After this date a longer term strategy will emerge in terms of which the right wing in the congress movement will show its fangs and throw away the carrot.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE FROM THE UNITY MOVEMENT
A CALL FOR BUILDING A MOVEMENT FOR SOCIALISM.
The beginning of this the second decade of the 21st century has been ushered in by two events that epitomise the depredations of the system of Neoliberal Capitalism-Imperialism.
On the one hand an extreme escalation of tensions in the Middle East, possibly presaging the outbreak of the 3rd world war, was precipitated by the brutal assassination of Iranian General, Qassem Soleimani by the Trump regime.
On the other hand, the devastating bush fires in Australia have served to bring home the message that climate change needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
In the meantime, here at home, the problem of load shedding which has disrupted our lives for months, continues. Put in a nutshell the problems of Eskom is symptomatic of the failing state administered by the ruling ANC.
It is against this background as we enter the second decade of the 21st century that the people of the world have to make a simple decision, namely choose between socialism or barbarism
During September last year the Movement issued a statement dealing with the crisis in South Africa. In the statement which can be accessed on this site, we said the following:
“We must demand the people-centric transformation of our economy, away from one which secures the prosperity of a capitalist elite, to one which is caring and all-inclusive; one which delivers jobs, houses, services, community facilities and crime-free neighbourhoods. Under the current dispensation, it is a fact that most South Africans live lives of unrelenting hardship. Violent crime, overcrowded shack- and backyard dwelling, lack of services: these are the daily realities for most South Africans.
There should be an immediate allocation of adequate levels of state resources – human and material – to the urgent task of ridding society of all forms of crime – NOW.
We in the New Unity Movement believe that ALL of the problems that confront us both nationally and globally are due to the ongoing crisis of capitalism-imperialism and that only the total elimination of that system will bring about a solution to those problems.
We are therefore fully committed to striving for the realisation of a Socialist alternative to Capitalism-Imperialism.
It was line with that belief that we enthusiastically participated in Numsa’s initiative, announced in 2016, of building a United Front and a Movement for Socialism in this country. Sadly, that initiative was allowed by Numsa to fail.
One has previously observed that the current conjuncture cries out for the building of organisations like the All African Convention (AAC) and the Non-European Unity Movement (NEUM) in the 1940s. The founding fathers and mothers of the NEUM sought to build the unity of the oppressed and exploited based on adherence of all to a programme of non-negotiable demands and the acceptance of a policy of non-racialism and non-collaboration. The oppressed and exploited masses then had to confront the system of Apartheid. Today, the unity of the oppressed and exploited is needed to challenge the hegemony of Neo-liberal Capitalism.
We believe that true unity in action must be based on a programme akin to our own Ten Point Programme of Minimum Transitional Demands as a prerequisite to engaging upon a course of action directed against the system of Neoliberal capitalism.
As stated in our statement alluded to above:
We are the same nation that defeated apartheid. We can defeat neoliberalism as well.”
TOWARDS A PROGRAMME OF ACTION!
The time has come for organisations on the Left like ourselves to embark upon initiatives to build a credible alternative to the corrupt parliamentary systems operating in this country and the world.
Hillel Ticktin the Marxist scholar, writing in an editorial in Critique Journal (https://doi.org/10.1080/03017605.2019.1647631) makes a number of salient points which the Left in general should take to heart.
He believes that the demise of soviet-style socialism and Stalinism has not been taken advantage of by the Left. The left he says has very limited support in the world and that the majority of people in the world cannot distinguish between the left, the far left and the pseudo-left.
As he sees it, the Left has to overcome two major challenges, namely,
- Making a total break with Stalinism. He believes that the full damage caused by Stalinism has not been widely understood
- The Left has to turn itself into a believable fully socialist alternative to capitalism
And with reference to the situation in our own country one can but echo the sentiments expressed by Patrick Bond writing in Monthly Review in January 2019. In the essay entitled “South Africa Suffers Capitalist Crisis Déjà Vu” he says,: “The difficulty, as ever, is tying together threads of potential leftist organizing into a political movement that can capture majority support. Given how South Africa’s pot keeps boiling, whatever left-black-youth-feminist-ecologist regroupment emerges from the political and economic turmoil that is inevitable in 2019, it cannot come quickly enough.”
Let this be the year that the Left not only in this country but across the world starts a process of renewal so that in Ticktin’s words the Left can formulate a clear strategy for executing the transition to Socialism