Zuma rises in the ANC

 

The candidate backed by the South African Communist Party (SACP) and Congress Of South African Trade Union (COSATU) has swept the election within the African National Congress (ANC). This is a glorious victory for the Left in South Africa. Jacob Zuma is a new inspiring leader who has taken a stand and defeated Thabo Mbeki (the President of South Africa) within the party. The statement issued by the SACP says:

The SACP believes that the electoral renewal of ANC leadership provides a platform on which to rebuild our alliance around a shared programme of action. For too long, intra-alliance relationships have been marked by recriminations and stand-offs. We warmly welcome the ANC Conference commitment to holding an Alliance Summit within three months.

ANC delegates have sent a clear message, but the electoral outcome of this conference does not mean that the underlying challenges of our society have gone away – poverty, unemployment, deepening inequality. As an alliance leadership, we will be failing the hopes and aspirations of the thousands of ANC branch delegates if we do not use the new reality as a platform to address with an even greater sense of urgency and determination these realities that impact upon millions of South Africans.

In his closing speech, while sending his greetings to fraternal political parties, Zuma mentioned by name only one organisation outside Southern Africa- the Communist Party of Cuba.

Zuma has also shown strong commitment to unite the conflict-ridden ANC for the single goal of “the complete overthrow of apartheid and racist domination”.

Nelson Mandela, the icon of the anti-apartheid struggle, has expressed his confidence in the leadership of Zuma, saying:

Our experience of Comrade Zuma is of a person and leader who is inclusive in his approach, a unifier and one who values reconciliation and collective leadership… We have no doubt that he will bring those well-known characteristics to his task of leading our organization.

The commitment of Comrade Zuma and the SACP in the struggle for democracy and against racism is beyond questions. SACP has always remained at the the forefront of the struggle against imperialism and racist domination. We must congratulate members of ANC who elected Comrade Zuma for showing great confidence in the SACP. We hope that the election of Comrade Zuma will help in bringing the ANC and SACP closer and we will soon see Comrade Zuma as the President of South Africa.

At the present point in the world’s history, it is the most appropriate for us, the Communists, to reiterate the words of Comrade Zwelinzima Vavi, the leader of South Africa’s trade union federation COSATU, in his speech at a Communist Party rally in October 2007:

When many have declared socialism dead, it is appropriate to mark the 90th Anniversary of the Russian Revolution and re-instil confidence in the future of socialism. This rally takes place amid rising working class confidence in South Africa and the world, especially in Latin America.

The collapse of the Soviet Bloc in the later 1980s led to a triumphalist imperialist camp and some of their ideologues claimed the end of history. Today as we meet in this rally the overconfidence of neo-liberal globalisation has been challenged both by peoples’ struggles and the failure of the system to resolve class contradictions and humanity’s basic problems. We are therefore at an important and opportune juncture to pursue the struggle for social transformation to greater height.

Long Live Socialism!

Long Live the Revolution!