People's Democracy

SOUTH AFRICA

THE people of South Africa have spoken --­ stop privatisation, build a strong public sector, build a people’s economy!

This is how the South African Communist Party (SACP) described the massive success of the general strike in the country that took place on August 30. The party saluted the South African working class for its massive and enthusiastic support for the general strike against privatisation. It said the success of the general strike is a clear and strong message to the bosses and the government that privatisation is not the route to go. The strike was also a conscious offensive against capitalism and for the building of a people’s economy that meets the South African people’s basic needs, develops infrastructure and creates new, quality and sustainable jobs.

The SACP has pointed out that the working class, which was the leading force in defeating the hated apartheid regime, has now signaled that it is not going to watch itself being sacrificed in the interests of the bosses. In fact, the working class has clearly demonstrated that it is indispensable in the task of economic transformation.

The SACP statement said the August 30 strike was a clear message to the capitalist vultures who are waiting to pounce on and profit from privatised state assets. The strike signified that workers will not sit idle, watching the bosses pressurise the government into selling off state assets and turning basic services into commodities.

The party has warned that those who think that the workers’ struggle against privatisation ended on August 30, are underestimating the resilience, the fighting spirit and the anti-capitalist and socialist consciousness of the South African working class. To those who attacked the SACP in the run-up to the strike, the general strike has sent them a clear message that, instead of the "SACP being caught between a hammer and a sickle" as they alleged, the SACP is firmly united in its position and struggle against privatisation. Never in its history has the party been so united about what it believes must be the economic policy for a national democratic revolution. In any case, the statement satirically said, "it is a thousand times better to be caught between a hammer and a sickle than to hang our necks on the apron strings of the bourgeoisie and their economic policies."

As the SACP has consistently argued, the restructuring of state assets must be geared to strengthen delivery and the role of the state in our economy.

The way forward now must include an extensive discussion within the ANC-SACP-COSATU alliance, together with SANCO, in order to ensure that they find one another. It will be counter-productive to continue as if the working class has not spoken, the SACP has warned.

The SACP assured that it is prepared to play its role in building this alliance consensus on the basis of the interests of the poor and working people in the country. (INN)