All Organisations subcategories:
Committee for a Workers International
Nationalist and National Liberation
Pro capitalist and Imperialist
Left and radical keywords:
International Socialist Resistance (54)
Revolutionary Communist League (1)
Socialist Peoples Party (Denmark) (1)
ANC
Highlight keywords |
Print this article
Search site for keywords: Capitalism - Mandela - ANC - Socialist - Africa
Why capitalism mourned Mandela
Keith Dickinson
After Nelson Mandela's death, the articles in the Socialist on the fight against apartheid and on South African workers' struggles stood alone in clearly explaining the real history.
Some comments in the media coverage confirm our analysis. Nadine Gordimer, the white South African author and anti-apartheid campaigner reminded people that Mandela's release was against the backdrop of big strikes and protests in the townships.
Time magazine confirmed this unconsciously by reprinting an interview from 2012 with Francois Pienaar, the South African Rugby captain. "A lot of people thought we were heading toward civil war. Instead Mandela delivered, and South Africa embraced a very difficult transition".
This capitalist "transition" has meant continuing poverty and struggle for the masses while ANC leaders, including Communist Party and Cosatu trade union leaders, have made themselves millionaires.
They did this consciously, as was made clear in the Socialist's articles. This is why the leading representatives of the world's ruling class came to show appreciation to the saviours of capitalism at Mandela's funeral.
Newsnight interviewed the cynical British ambassador who had represented these capitalist interests in negotiating with the ANC and apartheid state leader de Klerk, for Mandela's release from prison.
After Diane Abbott MP reminded him that Margaret Thatcher had earlier said Mandela should be executed, he said that Thatcher was in favour of his release but insisted he tell Mandela, it was on condition that he "drops his silly nationalisation ideas".
Socialist Party members always gave support to the workers in southern Africa, including the ANC. But we offered critical support of their programme, strategy and tactics which were influenced by the Stalinists and proved disastrous.
In the 1980s we helped build the South African Labour Education Project, with others who, after returning from exile, were active members of the ANC.
Solidarity
In Britain, with limited resources, we took part in the Movement for Colonial Freedom (MCF) and Anti-Apartheid.
Our comrades at Sussex University even recruited Thabo Mbeki (later ANC leader and South African president) to the Labour Society in the early 1960s.
I was Liverpool Trades Council delegate to the Movement for Colonial Freedom and we organised a meeting to hear Joshua Nkomo, of what was then Rhodesia, speak.
His Zimbabwe African Peoples Union forces were having to combat South African government forces crossing the border to stop their independence struggle.
He explained to me that he had just walked out from the London negotiations after delivering his statement, as the British imperialists had proposed a constitution which would let them keep control through South Africa.
Socialist Party general secretary Peter Taaffe discussed with leading trade unionists about how to build Cosatu in its early days.
But in the early 90s, after a long visit, Peter warned in his booklet that, as the ANC were not taking the socialist road, "how long will it be before an ANC government sends in police and army units against striking workers?".
Unfortunately this was tragically confirmed by the massacre of mineworkers at Marikana in 2012. This emphasises the importance of our help for the Democratic Socialist Party and its building of the broader mass workers' party (WASP).
Donate to the Socialist Party
Finance appeal
The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.
We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.
LATEST POSTS
12 May Stop Israeli state brutality
 |
9 May Post-election meetings
15 May Birmingham Socialist Party: How can we fight for socialist change and a new workers' party?
17 May Oxfordshire & Aylesbury Socialist Party: The role of the state
18 May Bristol North Socialist Party: Liverpool - history of socialist struggle
CONTACT US
Phone our national office on 020 8988 8777
Email: [email protected]
Locate your nearest Socialist Party branch Text your name and postcode to 07761 818 206
Regional Socialist Party organisers:
Eastern: 079 8202 1969
East Mids: 077 3797 8057
London: 075 4018 9052
North East: 078 4114 4890
North West 079 5437 6096
South West: 077 5979 6478
Southern: 078 3368 1910
Wales: 079 3539 1947
West Mids: 024 7655 5620
Yorkshire: 078 0983 9793
ABOUT US
ARCHIVE
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999