The
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From the working class perspective the tragedy of the South African political scene is the absence of a worker organization, representing primarily the interest of the urban and rural working class – effectively challenging, the political stranglehold by the ANC on the South African mass. Every single party in parliament without exception serves the interest of the propertied classes (capitalist class and middle class). From this premise it follows that those parties who are in opposition to the ANC (e.g. DA, NNP, ACDP, PAC, INKATHA) do not fundamentally differ in their allegiance to the capitalist class and the capitalist system, and only differ on how best to serve the interest of the capitalist masters, against their implacable enemy the urban and rural working class. The irony of the political reality is that in order to legitimize capitalist class rule and maintain political equilibrium all these capitalist parties claim, that if put in a position of political power, would effectively deal with the horrendous economic and social problems (unemployment, HIV/aids, crime, housing) affecting the vast majority of the South African population. The Democratic Alliance, a naked pro-capitalist imperialist party wishes to proclaim itself as the savior of these hapless millions. Their 2004 manifesto sets out the guidelines for this ‘deliverance’ from poverty and degradation; let us examine some of them. Creating opportunity is the first priority of the DA, the manifesto says, “That the creation of 1 million new real and sustainable jobs, over the next 5 years is a top priority”. But, in order to achieve this “labour inflexibility” has to be removed. Concretely this means the virtual abandonment of whatever legal protection the working class enjoys, in its economic relations with the capitalists, through Labor Relations Act and Basic Conditions of Employment Act. Thus minimum wages, maximum hours of normal time work; health and safety regulations; the right to strike, etc, etc, which gives the workers a modicum of protection against the relentless drive of the capitalists for profits; must be legally eliminated from the statute books. It further means that the capitalist class has the ABSOLUTE FREEDOM (without any legal hindrance) to determine wages; conditions of work; the hiring and the firing of workers. In a nutshell, the creation of slave-wage labor, completely at the mercy of the capitalists. COSATU and its affiliates, if they wish to remain within the new legal frame work, must shutdown shop. Slave–capitalist relations in the economic field will be re-established, with one significant difference, that now, the workers will be competing with one another, in selling their labor power, far below the required price to maintain an acceptable physical existence. The hungry and impoverished worker mob is at one another’s throats. The capitalist surveys this scenario with gleeful satisfaction; his cost of production has been drastically reduced; his profits are “extremely healthy”; his balance sheet is the centre of envy and admiration of capitalist economists and investors. The minister of finance proudly announces a 10% growth in the economy; invite overseas investors to further plunder the South African natural and human resources; an economic miracle is announced by the politicians; the per capita income of the ruling classes (capitalist class and middle class) has dramatically increased, unemployment has been ‘reduced’ by 2 million; the per capita income of the working class has been dramatically reduced. This means the number of super-exploited workers will increase – if the DA has their way, we will all be working 24 hours per day for R300 per month. Jubilation and back slapping will be widespread in the camp of the DA and the capitalist class it represents. Misery, degradation, low self esteem and sheer physical exhaustion in the ranks of the working class; the prognosis for the future; more slavery, more degradation, more misery. Any hope of social advancement for themselves and their children will remain a pipe-dream. Most of the working class parents will not be able to send their children for secondary education; let alone acquire skills or read any degrees at tertiary institutions. The dreams of the youth, for a decent paying job, a decent house, a decent cultural life, will remain just that. While the middle classes and the capitalist class will be wallowing in material opulence and intellectual arrogance, an aura of prosperity is splashed in the electronic media; an economic and social miracle is proclaimed. These are the future prospects for the entire working class under DA rule. Fortunately, the political rule of the DA would remain a fools dream, because the South African working class is far too mature to allow the DA’s ascendancy to power. And if by some quirk of historical circumstance and party collaboration the DA does come to power; the South African working class, renowned internationally for its resolute and consistent fight against slave-capitalist relations would make short-shrift of the DA’s honeymoon. The ANC is already feeling the political heat of its dissatisfied constituency, hence its recurrent acknowledgement and promises of eradicating unemployment and poverty. “A peoples’ contract to create work and fight poverty” is the ANC slogan; the people may be fooled for now, but reality will mobilize the workers against the lies of the political “leaders”. The allegiance to the ANC is NOT because of ethnicity or racial prejudice, but, the misguided faith of the working class in the political programme of the ANC; the Freedom Charter; and the alliance with the SACP and COSATU. It is dawning on the workers that the possibility of emancipation from deprivation and degradation under the ANC rule is a massive illusion. How can the DA hope to rule in an atmosphere of political disequilibrium; where the organized working class will challenge its political hegemony? The ANC chance of continuing its rule is definitely diminishing in the current socio-economic climate. The DA has absolutely no chance of beginning to rule in its proposed future dispensation. The next great social aim says the DA manifesto is alleviating poverty, it says, “the DA has developed a poverty alleviation package that will provide for the destitute, including the chronically unemployed”, one of the basic methods for the starving millions (the DA has made a profound discovery: its manifesto says “food is essential for survival and good health”) to find access to food is through receiving a basic income grant of one hundred and ten rand per month, to those who are in dire need. However according to the DA calculation, this would cost the state “no more than R15 billion per year”. This could be financed as follows: 1.
Using 1/3 of the tax bonanza[the extra tax collected over and above
that which was budgeted for] which would generate R5 billion. This means, that about 1/3 of the amount required for the basic income grant, will come through the increase of 1% of VAT. It has been calculated that 10% of the income of the vast majority of the workers goes to the state via VAT because most of the income of workers is spent on basic necessities such as food, water and electricity whereas only 5% applies to the higher income earners (the middle classes and capitalist class). It means, that those who can least afford to pay taxes from their meagre income; are made to pay the most. If the DA really was concerned about poverty and hunger, it would ask for the scrapping of VAT on all food stuff, and also including electricity and water for all those households in working class areas. But nay, this would considerably reduce the fiscal coffers of the State, compelling it to increase the income taxes of the middle classes and capitalist class. VAT was devised to shift the burden of the social cost of the State from the shoulders of the capitalist class, to the overburdened shoulders of the working class. The 1% VAT increase proposed by the DA will break the back of the working class, reducing its ability to access enough food, exacerbating (worsening) hunger and poverty. The DA policy for alleviating poverty does in fact increase poverty; can one be more cynical and deceptive than this? Moreover they promise and reassure the ruling class that the increase in the budget deficit, and the part expenditure of the fiscal surplus for the basic income grant, remain a temporary phenomenon because the supposed economic growth, and increase in employment will reduce the need for the basic income grant. One of the fundamental reasons for the lack of access to adequate food, for the vast majority of workers is the horrendous and criminal cost of basic foods. If honest comparison is made of average wages (of workers) and, the price of food in South Africa; to that of America (USA) and Europe; the South African worker is far worse off, than his counterpart in America and Europe (the average employed South African workers’ breakfast, two slices of dry bread, 1 cup of black tea; lunch – 4 slices of dry bread 1 glass of water; supper 4 slices of dry bread 1 cup of black tea with sugar. This is the adult diet of at least 5 days per week.) Those who are not employed – there are more than 8 million, not so fortunate to enjoy 10 slices of dry bread per day. Such is the actual reality of the nutrition plates of nearly 30 million human beings in South Africa. And why are the prices of food so high? Because we have greedy monopoly capitalists in the manufacturing and distribution sector of food; who have been given unrestricted power to determine supply and price by this government, supported by all the ruling classes. Food inflation exacerbates (makes worse) the misery of the poor. Has the DA anything to say about this? No; because those responsible for food inflation, must be contributing to the DA coffers. Concern for the poor by the DA leadership is an opportunist, hypocritical and shameless masquerade. The DA leaderships’ cynicism and contempt is most ably demonstrated, by their housing program for the poor. This is what the DA manifesto says, “The DA will involve the beneficiaries more directly in housing delivery, by giving them the chance to choose the site and service only and to build their own dwelling on the serviced site, with some assistance from the state. Self build options have been shown not only to be significantly cheap and easy to manage, but to provide a higher level of satisfaction to the beneficiaries”?? Nobody could ask for a more ‘comprehensive’ and ‘sustainable’ solution to the many millions of homeless in South Africa indeed on the continent of Africa. Under the DA rule South Africa will have, hundreds of townships such as described in fairy- tale books, where angels will desire to roam. Thousands upon thousands of houses, constructed with discarded wood and rust infested corrugated iron, will grace our beautiful landscape. The very act of scrounging for this wood and iron and constructing these shelters will not only give our homeless, physical protection from the elements but indeed psychological pleasure. And if wood and iron is not available, why not use plastic sheeting, which is more readily available, and less physically taxing to build with. Jubilation and happiness will resonate throughout these fairyland townships. The Human Rights Commission should award a medal to the DA leader for his humanity. The working class should bring him before the peoples tribunal, to charge him, for crimes against humanity. The barbarity and callousness of the DA is forcefully exposed by its overt and covert support of American and British imperialisms’ invasion of Iraq. That thousands of innocent Iraqi’s were slaughtered by the invaders is of no consequence to the DA leadership. Their sermonizing advice for the invading armies goes as follows “For now, we must remind the men and women in uniform and in action, that they have a supreme responsibility to respect human life, and to obey the international conventions, on caring for prisoners and non-combatants”. American Imperialism, the arch-enemy of human progress and human culture is portrayed as a force to be emulated and cultivated, in the name of freedom and democracy. The DA even sent a message of condolence to the family of one of the South African mercenaries recently killed in Iraq. This should not be surprising to the working class organization and movement; because the DA is the embodiment of the barbarism of decaying Capitalism. As US Imperialism has slaughtered thousands in Afganistan and Iraq, for the control of the Oil resources, so the DA, inorder to maximise South African Capitalists profits, and maintain Imperialist hegemony in Souther Africa, will destroy every bit of political and economic gains made by the South African working class over the decades. The Facistic nature of the DA, is thoroughly exposed through its deafening silence on the Israeli-Palestine conflict, and its hipocritical outburst on the Zimbabwean Issue. The maturing Socio-Economic Crisis in South Africa will further expose the true nature of the DA. The South African Working Class gives the DA leadership irrevocable guarantee that it will yet bury the DA.
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