Voice of the Proletariat
SACP
Kimberley District
September 2016
VOICE
September 2016
# 18
OF THE PROLETARIAT
ELECTION’S
EDITION
SACP committed towards ANC victory
in the local government elections 2016!
SACP Kimberley District
SOCIALISM IS THE FUTURE / BUILD IT NOW!
Voice of the Proletariat
September 2016
Bolivian
Miner’s Strike
By Chris Matlhako
"Bolivian mining cooperatives account for about
35% of the country’s mining output. They are taxexempt organizations and pay royalties at lower
rates than other mining companies."
I
n a twist reminiscent of wildcat strikes' in
apartheid South Africa; and in the shadow
of rock-drillers’ strike and events associated with it at Lonmin on the platinum belt,
in particular - a Bolivian deputy interior minister
was kidnapped and beaten to death by striking
miners in Bolivia.
apartheid-era strike actions, where an ‘all or
nothing’ principle underpins the actions.
Though a raft of new progressive legislation and
a labour relations regime have been inaugurated,
violence – still mars much of the strike actions
today. In fact, 19 miners' faced various chargers
in the North West High Court leading up to the
Marikana massacre. The miners face charges of
murder, robbery and malicious damage to property related to the crimes committed in the days
leading up to August 16, 2012 when 34 miners
were shot and killed.
The tensions between the govDeputy interior minister Rodolf
ernment of President Evo MoThis kind of
Illanes, was sent to negotiate
with the miners on strike, out- violence is all too rales and the country’s miners
spilled into violence last month
side the country’s capital, La
familiar to us, in (22-29 August 2016) when negoPaz, but was seized. While being
held, he spoke to a Bolivian ra- particular during tiations broke down following a
week's-long strike. The National
dio station, telling them the
miners were demanding the gov- the apartheid-era Federation of Mining Cooperatives of Bolivia had said it
ernment negotiate new legislaand has led to would begin an indefinite protion with them to secure his release. However, Illanes’s body tensions between test and this action will have farreaching ramifications on Bowas found early the next day,
the authorities livia’s economy. The country has
wrapped in a blanket by the side
and strikers... an estimated 100,000 independof a highway connecting La Paz
ent miners working in selfto the city of Oruro. He had died
of repeated blows to the head. Bolivian interior managed cooperatives, but the demonstrators
minister Carlos Romero said “all indications" are demanding the right to work for private
were that he had died as the result of a companies, broader union representations, a
loosening of environmental restrictions and oth“cowardly and brutal murder.”
er concessions. It is reported that two protesters
This kind of violence is all too familiar to us, in were reportedly shot dead by police recently.
particular during the apartheid-era and has led The miners had blockaded a highway in Panduro
to tensions between the authorities and strikers around 100 miles from La Paz, though the blockin ways, which bears all of the hallmarks of the ade was lifted on after Illanes’s death. LongSACP Kimberley District
2
Voice of the Proletariat
September 2016
running tensions between miners and the government over strict regulations approved in 2014
grew increasingly violent over the past few
weeks.
mineral product. In the 1980s a sharp fall in commodity prices led to a shutdown of the government mines, displacing 25,000 salaried miners.
Bolivia’s workers and miners’ in particular, were
These events take place when Bolivia recently radicalized by these and other inter-related
announced that it had begun exporting about 10 events in the country’s socio-political and ecotons of lithium to China, as the start of what the nomic development.
country hopes will flourish into a multimillion- The industry was privatized again in 1990s under
dollar partnership in the near future. The reason neoliberal structural adjustment policies that
why this is such a big deal and is been talked ended up destroying Bolivia's miners-led revoluabout is because lithium is an integral compo- tionary trade union movement, once the most
nent of most of our cell phones and electric car combative in Latin America. Korybko suggests
batteries, and estimates vary over the size of Bo- that, it's in this context that the miners’ strike
livia’s deposits. The fact that China – the factory and their demands should be understood - disof the world – is able to diversify its imports of ruptive attempt by anti-government forces with
this rare earth mineral strengthens Beijing’s sup- US imperialism's "hybrid war" strategy at work to
ply chain security with this straundermine the progressive politegic commodity, and it also
cies of Evo Morales’ government.
...what
Bolivia
is
pairs well with the billion-dollar
When Morales, South America's
coltan investment that it made
doing is very
first indigenous President, took
in the Congo a few months back.
office in 2006, he immediately
helpful for the
Taken together, it's suggested
hiked mining taxes for foreigners
emerging
that, China is positioning itself
and nationalized the country’s
for dominance in the cell-phone multipolar world key natural gas industry. He also
and electric car industries, which
expropriated the telecommuniorder
in
general...
will make it a future leader in
cations and electricity sectors,
these
industries.
Andrew
and seized several assets, includKorybko suggests, "...what Bolivia is doing is very ing those of Vancouver-based South American
helpful for the emerging multipolar world order Silver Corporation in 2012, and Glencore’s, which
in general, and since we’re on the topic of the recently announced it was taking Bolivia to an
country’s contribution to geopolitics, it’s worth- international court over the issue. Though rich
while including a few of its other projects that in mineral and energy resources, data from
are just as helpful. Russia is deepening its coop- Unicef shows that Bolivia is one of the poorest
eration with the Andean state in the oil, gas, and countries in Latin America and has the weakest
nuclear energy industries, and Russian repre- economy in all of South America.
sentatives have said that they’re interested in The "hybrid war" threats against the plurinationmilitary exports to the country and in boosting al state of Bolivia include the threat of foreignbilateral commercial trade. Furthermore, China provoked conflict between the 38 ethnic groups
and Bolivia have signed agreements on military in the country, militarized labour unrest such as
cooperation too, particularly for Beijing to send the mining strikes that are ongoing right now,
it new armored personnel carriers which it just transnational drug cartels that operate along the
made good on a few weeks ago."
Brazilian and Paraguayan borders, a traditional
Mining is deeply embedded in Bolivia's national 'colour revolution', and the possibility of a
identity. During colonial times, so much silver ‘regime reboot’ campaign to promote the divisive
was shipped from mines in the southern region Bosnification of Bolivia into an 'identity federaof Potosi to Europe. But that boom came at an tion' of quasi-independent statelets that the US
extremely high price tag — an estimated eight could more easily divide and rule. Bolivia better
million slaves died in Potosi. By the time mining take note, because the more that it bravely
was nationalized after the 1952 national revolu- stands up to the US by embracing the multipolar
tion, tin had long since ousted silver as the main leaders of Russia and China, the bigger the bull’s
SACP Kimberley District
3
Voice of the Proletariat
-eye on its back becomes.
The US strategy is to disrupt the growing relations between plurinational state of Bolivia and
the emerging axis of multipolar world order of
China-Russia. This include, but not limited to,
stoking instability and tensions between the
state and other sections of the society. The miners' who have benefited from the progressive
policies undertaken by the state are challenging
these policies in a narrow manner that will not
benefit the majority of the population.
September 2016
The US "hybrid war" strategy envisions these
tensions to boil over and snowball into political
demands that will lead towards regime change,
for the benefit of transnational corporations
such as Glencore to continue to exploit the resources of countries.
The reactionary whirlwind happening in Latin
America is an acid test for unity of left forces
worldwide.
Cde Chris Matlhako is a Central Committee and
Politburo Member of the SACP
Election
Work
By Parks Moleko
The SACP has been fully committed to ensure an Settlement, Moleko’s Farm, Breipal, Sidney’s
ANC victory in the local government elections Hope and Bullhill. The ANC has always strug2016.
gled to make inroads in this ward due to failure
by the municipality to service these communities.
he SACP together with
the alliance partners The SACP together The SACP together with MDM
structures were involved in maswere involved in a
with MDM
sive election drives trying to
comprehensive
elecstructures were mobilise people to vote for the
tion drive. In the Magareng SubANC. Some of the challenges
district where there were serious
involved in
that were raised by communities
governance and political challenges leading up to the elec- massive election during the campaigns included:
tions.
drives trying to  High unemployment rate
especially amongst the youth
Magareng is comprised of 5
mobilise
people
to
and nepotism involved when
wards, four of these wards are
under the control of the ANC vote for the ANC. employing people in projects.

Learner transport denying
and one ward is led by the DA.
local
youth
from
attending institutions of
The DA ward is mainly the town, Majeng Rural
T
SACP Kimberley District
4
Voice of the Proletariat





September 2016
higher learning that are based in Kimber- SACP also noted with concern the foreign attiley.
tude of the ANC leadership which seemed to
Failure by the municipality to provide com- marginalise the SACP and other alliance partmunities with basic municners like SANCO and Cosatu.
ipal services like water and
...the SACP also The SACP did mobilised spiritual
refuse removal.
leaders as it identified these
Allegations of corruption
assisted the local leaders as one of the sectors that
and failure by the ruling
communities in have influence in our communiparty to effectively deal
ties. Leading up to the elections
with corrupt elements.
registering
the SACP also assisted the local
Complaints about housing
cooperatives and communities in registering coand the allocation of buildoperatives and also formally
ing sites.
also formally
launched cooperatives. These
Lack of political leadership.
cooperatives will contribute to
launched
Poor communication from
fighting poverty in the commuthe councillors and the pocooperatives.
nities. The SACP in the District
litical leaderwill be assisting
ship.
these communities
The SACP also noted
in ensuring that
with concern that
these cooperatives
during these elecbecome sustainable.
tions
the
ANC
With the support
lacked strategy and
and work done by
skill in running electhe working class the
tions. Campaigning
ANC retained the
only started just a
four wards and the
few weeks towards
municipality is still
election day and these were not properly coordi- under the control of ANC.
nated. It was also noted with concern that there
were almost no volunteers and those that did Cde Parks Moleko is the SACP Kimberley District,
volunteer did not know much of the ANC. The District Chairperson
Clothing Cooperative
Produce Cooperative
SACP Kimberley District
5
Voice of the Proletariat
September 2016
Press
Statement
By SACP Kimberley District
On behalf of the District Executive Committee, we used the ballot box to voice their dissatisfaction
would also want to congratulate all the Council- with the ANC. Notwithstanding, the electorate
lors that were elected by our communities.
whom have decided to stay away from the ballot
box which should be interpreted as their dissathe Kimberley District SACP wants to isfaction with the ruling party. The continuous
thank all whom have voted for the internal struggles and factions that plagues the
ANC and congratulate the alliance ANC have caused a weaker performance in the
structures that has worked towards an elections.
over whelming v+ictory for the ANC, within the The SACP within the District have noted with
Frances Baard District, during
concern the recent processes of
this month’s local government As the SACP within appointing Mayors. It is regretelections.
table that the leadership of the
the district we
On behalf of the District ExecuANC have decided to ignore the
tive Committee, we would also cannot celebrate voices of the communities, the
want to congratulate all the
alliance and the ANC Branches
our election’s
Councillors that were elected by
during these processes. The
victory without ANC must adhere to the conour communities. It is a rare
privilege that you have been giv- taking stock of the cerns raised by these Branches
en by our people.
instead of taking decisions withelection’s
As the SACP within the district
out proper consultation. The
we cannot celebrate our elec- outcomes in other SACP has been approached by
tion’s victory without taking
community members and strucparts of the
stock of the election’s outcomes
tures that have complained
in other parts of the country, esabout the attitude of senior leadcountry...
pecially the outcomes in some of
ership of the ANC in these prothe metros. Metros like Nelson Mandela, Joburg cesses.
and Tshwane is no more under the complete We want to appeal to the congress movement to
control of the ANC. The national outcomes of listen to these voices and avoid any further disthe elections have indicated a stronger support satisfaction by the electorate. The SACP is optowards the opposition since the last local gov- pose to any form of factional approach in terms
ernment elections that were held in 2011.
of the appointment of Mayors. We are further
The electorate have effectively used the ballot aware of threats of revolt by communities
box to voice their dissatisfaction or satisfaction against any form of imposing Mayors, Speakers
with local government depending on the out- and Chief whips in places like Phokwane,
come. Unfortunately, the electorate have also Magareng and Sol Plaatjie. The SACP is going to
T
SACP Kimberley District
6
Voice of the Proletariat
September 2016
advise its Branches across the District to join ties whom have voted for the ANC. The public
these communities in condemning any form of representatives must remain the choice of the
corporate capture which seeks to undermine electorate.
them. The SACP is informed that in Phokwane The people of the Frances Baard have placed
the preferred Mayoral candidate’s name was re- their trust in the ANC. It is therefore of utmost
moved from the list and reimportance, as it has been beThe
public
placed by a list committee
fore, that those whom have been
member. Branches are up in representatives
elected to local government, that
arms as they were never conthey will serve our people unconmust
remain
the
sulted in the process. In
ditionally. Public representative
Magareng the Branches and the
leaders must at all cost ensure
choice of the
community have also made
the effective and efficient renderelectorate.
their
preferred
candidate
ing of services. Only together will
known for Mayor. But because
we make local government work
of changes and no consultation the community for the people.
is threatening to render Magareng ungovernable
until they are listened to. This behaviour of the Issued by the SACP Kimberley District
ANC leadership is undermining the communi- Released August 24, 2016
Ideological
Development
By SASCO
The 18th national congress held in Venda, Limpopo 2013, and further confirmed by the NGC in
2014, resolved to declare SASCO a Marxist- Leninist organisation that recruits every student but all
with an intention of schooling them into the
Marxist-Leninist theoretical tradition.
have never really fully appreciated the historic
tasks that Marxism-Leninism imposes on us as
an organization both in theory and in practice.
Two of the most fundamental questions that
arises out of this resolution is whether or not the
new resolution on Marxism-Leninism takes away
from SASCO its mass character or the broad
church character after the fashion of the African
National Congress and whether this resolution
will inevitably lead to the death of SASCO because students can neither be socialists nor communists as they are a stratum in transit. It
should be noted that while it may be true that
T
his was an epoch making decision taken by the organisation after SASCO
grappled with it for a very long time.
SASCO has for a long time always proclaimed that we use Marxism-Leninism as a tool
of analysis and a guide to action, however we
SACP Kimberley District
7
Voice of the Proletariat
September 2016
students do not on their own form this or that quality, we ought to continue organizing all stuclass, it must be readily acceptable to all that dents who sprout from all classes and therefore
students are not above or without society. They from different ideological persuasions, conare essentially part and products of a society sciously or unconsciously. But this cannot be the
whose primary contradiction is the class contra- end of it all if we are to honour our resolution.
diction. Flowing from this argument, it follows Politically, the new resolution implies that the
by simple deduction that these students must struggle to build a new cadre in defence of the
necessarily have a natural class inclination; a revolution continues. A cadre who understands
class into which they are born not as a matter of and is able to articulate clearly the aspirations of
choice but as a result of the participation of their the toiling masses. A cadre who has grasped or
species in a historic process. It has been laid bare seeks diligently to grasp the economic basis of
in practice that the majority of students sprout our demand for free education. In short, this cafrom working class backgrounds and that their dre cannot be anything else but a Marxist- Lensocial milieu even as students still considerably inist par excellence, a consistent materialist and
bears the birthmarks of their background. In an antagonistic, antithesis which finds its origin
fact, their situation is almost worsened by social in idealism.
phenomenon’s such as that they experience an We must build a culture of reading and debating
unprecedented awareness growth of their pov- particularly ideological questions. Ignorance of
erty in light of the many new nice-to-haves the importance of theory should thus be seen as
turned necessities (e.g. weaves, Airmax) that serving nothing but reaction and as a betrayal of
they suddenly get exposed to upour resolution and of MarxismThis illustrates Leninism as a whole. However, it
on their arrival at institutions of
higher learning which constitute
is important that we all
that
it
is
well
the core of the South African
acknowledge and appreciate the
possible to
capitalist economy.
dialectical link between theoretThis illustrates that it well possiical clarity and actual victories
organize
and
ble to organize and mobilize stufor our cause, the role that this
dents behind a socialist vision. mobilize students theory of the revolution has
Organizationally, our resolution
played in many movements of
behind
a
socialist
to be a Marxist- Leninist student
the world and the role it can still
vision.
organization in pursuit of socialplay in our own movement. As
ism opens for us the space to
Lenin warned that “without revturn our organization into a truly revolutionary olutionary theory, there is no revolutionary
mass organization whose actions are guided by movement.” This means therefore that every
and inseparable from the daily struggles of stu- leadership structure of our organization must
dents. It is inconceivable that students would pay considerable attention to political education
reject an organization which struggles side by programmes and also that all meetings and gathside with them, explains carefully to them where erings of SASCO must be credited in practice
their problems emanate from and make practical with features of a political school. This new resoproposals to resolve these merely on the basis of lution requires of us to improve the awareness of
the word socialism. By now it should be clear our membership and the general masses of our
that we need to re-organize SASCO to make it a strategic objectives particularly as it relates to
truly revolutionary mass organization. What is the transformation of the South African society
to be done to achieve this? Our actions need to as a whole.
be decided by the masses for whom we exist and We must state that we view the capitalist system
whose participation or lack thereof in our pro- as our chief enemy and that we will struggle for
grammes ensures the success or failure of what- its destruction and for its replacement with a soever action we embark on.
cialist order and ultimately a communist society.
The other challenge that lies at the heart of this But however much it is scientifically true that
resolution is the transformation of quantity into the division of society into classes forms the baSACP Kimberley District
8
Voice of the Proletariat
September 2016
sis of all other social contradictions, the struggle and exclusively by the forces of demand and
against these contradictions cannot be deferred supply. A Marxist-Leninist SASCO cannot be
in order to focus only on the class struggle. content with such a curriculum because it unBranches of SASCO must be vigilant and ever derstands that the primary objective of producready to fight and defeat racism, sexism, tribal- ing and exchanging goods is the satisfaction of
ism, etc. wherever they rear their ugly heads.
needs necessary for the sustenance of life. What
As has already been established, the economic this implies in practice is that we must struggle
structure of any society has a bearing on all oth- for the transformation of the curriculum so as to
er social structures and education is no excep- free it from the ideological stranglehold of the
tion to this rule. There is nothruling class.
ing which can survive which SASCO will give
When talking about the opruns counter to the economic
pressed people of the world, Paunew
meaning
to
structure of society. The current
lo Freire said that “their liberaeducation system like other so- the struggle for
tion will not be given to them as
cial structures such as the state
a gift but they shall obtain it
social
itself has not always existed but
through the praxis of their quest
was developed at a certain stage transformation...
for it.” This paper attempted to
of economic development so as
deal with what the resolution on
to suit and sustain this. It should stand to reason Marxism-Leninism
means
practically
in
therefore that our education system suffers from acknowledgement of the fact that advances in
the ideological stranglehold of the ruling class, the revolution are not made merely through
the capitalist class. It is known by all that the congress resolutions but through struggle. This
economics taught in our schools and even at ter- begins at the level of diligently seeking to undertiary level emphasizes that the primary objective stand our theory of revolution and accepting its
of business is the maximization of profit. The guidance in practice. Only then shall we say that
economics they teach also amongst its many SASCO subscribes to Marxism-Leninism both
other evil functions, seeks and manages to legiti- politically and organizationally. In time and in
mize the commodification of education. Because realization of our resolution, SASCO will give
of its emphasis on the invisible hand and the un- new meaning to the struggle for social transforchallengeable power of the market forces, this mation in South Africa and will provide the caeconomics suggests that all things necessary for dreship necessary to participate both in the conthe sustenance of life including education must ceptualization and implementation of transforhave a price and this must be determined only mation. Issued by SASCO
Revolutionary Editorial Team
17 Graham Street
Kimberley, 8301
Cde Dave Rolse
District Secretary
053 831 4180
Cde OJ Fourie
Deputy District Secretary
[email protected]
SACP Kimberley District
9