Working class resistance under
attack in Kliptown, the home of the ANC’s Freedom Charter
The
housing struggles in Kliptown,
'The breaking up and democratisation of these monopolies
will open up fresh fields for the development of a prosperous Non-European
bourgeois class. For the first time in the history of the country the
Non-European bourgeoisie will have the opportunity to own in their own name and
right mills and factories, and trade and private enterprise will boom and
flourish as never before.'
What is important further, is that this development of a black capitalist
class, is at the expense of the demands and rights of the working class. What
follows from this is that the new black managers, the ANC in government, then
adopt all the repressive measures of a capitalist regime, which indeed they
are. The monopolies remain largely untouched and the black capitalist class are
thus junior partners of imperialism. The ANC are incapable of even
fighting for the demands of all the black middle class, let alone that of the
working class. Yet, the Cosatu and SACP leaders all call for a resounding
electoral victory for this capitalist ANC.
The
national organiser of the WIVL, Thabo Modisane and 4 other activists
having been found guilty on the 10th March 2008 on a charge of
public violence . The charges relate to a protest by the community in Kliptown,
under the banner of the Anti-Privatization Forum, on 3 Sept 2007 when they
took to the streets to demand houses. On the 14th August 2007 the community had
handed over a memorandum calling for their local councillor to be recalled and
for adequate housing for all. In the town where the Freedom Charter was adopted
ion 26 June 1955, Kliptown, thousands still live in shacks despite the document
promising houses for all. To date, one and half years later, the memorandum has
not been responded to.
On
the 18th April last year (2008), there were confirmed cases of cholera in
Kliptown. One of the first people to contract it was Kelebogile Malefane, who
died on the 12th June 2008 of this preventable disease.
The
response of the ANC government to years of protest by the Kliptown community
for houses? They built a R200 million white elephant, called
The
magistrate in this case repeatedly postponed the case more than 20
times to give the police more time to find 'evidence' against the 5
accused.
On
Friday 13th march 2008, the 5 face the prospect of being jailed for the
crime of being leaders of the resistance to capitalist non-delivery to the
working class. The case is being held at the Protea North magistrate's court in
It
should be the capitalist parliamentary parties who should be on trial for the
crime of keeping the working class without homes and of being the agents of
profits for monopoly capital.
We
call for a national and international campaign against the victimization of
these working class activists. We are calling for mass protests at the court on
Friday 13 March 2008 as part of a further general mobilization of the working
class. The finding of the court exposes the true nature of the coming April
elections, namely that it is a contest between the bourgeois parties as to who
will be the new manager to serve the capitalist masters. Not a single one of
them can commit to building decent houses for all the working class; thus it
follows that every single one of them would support the arrest and jailing of
activists who find themselves at the leadership of the working class. A vote
for any of the parliamentary parties is a vote for more cholera, more
homelessness, more starvation, more arrests of activists.
The
capitalist monopolies made over R700 Billion in profits last year. Yet the
ANC-SACP-Cosatu Popular Front bails out these same capitalists with hundeds of
billions of
Forward
to decent houses for all! Organise or starve!
Further information on the details of the court
proceedings can be obtained from the APF ( Silumko Radebe
ph 072 1737 268 or 011 333 8338)
The above statement is that of the WIVL.
--
Shaheed Mahomed
Secretary
Workers International Vanguard League
1st Floor, Community House
41 Salt River rd
7925
ph 0822020617
fax 0880214476777
workersinternational@gmail.com
web www.workersinternational.org.