CAPE TOWN (South Africa), August 3— Over the last month, particularly following the incarceration of Jacob Zuma, South Africa has been gripped with violent protests and riots. Some are in support of Zuma but mostly the protests are happening because the masses are desperate.
The contradictions of capitalism in South Africa have intensified. This is reflected in the ever-growing inequality, joblessness, poverty, and desperation. In a way it is reflected in the intensifying of contradictions within the ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC).
The ruling class consists of the untrustworthy reformist faction (the “Radical Economic Transformation” or RET) and the untrustworthy centrist faction led by Ramaphosa. Both are capitalist. At the centre of the factionalism is the fight over which capitalist controls the economy and destiny of South Africa.
The RET faction is backed by recently-emerged small black industrialists. It is more or less aligned, or would align, with the eastern imperialists Russia and China. Whereas the Ramaphosa faction is backed by the white business establishment and more or less likes the Western imperialists.
These fights within the ruling party are important in explaining some of the chaotic developments within the country. But they are not the primary drivers. The failure of capitalism, or more correctly the exploitative nature of capitalism, is the primary reason we have chaos and destruction.
But for communist movement there is a huge opportunity.
The capitalist system created racism. And the racist capitalist system, consistent with its nature, has failed to address racism. Instead, it relied on it. It brought misery instead of prosperity, poverty and inequality instead of taking care of the primary needs of masses.
All of this is the direct opposite of the communist society that we will build on the ashes of capitalism after we make a communist revolution. Therefore, the fight of the collective here in Cape Town and all of South Africa is to fight the misery and poverty by destroying the source of this misery. That is, we fight for a complete communist revolution.
Some comrades are trying hard to recruit new members. We have joined some student groups and formations to recruit and spread communist ideas among the students. South Africa has a potential for massive growth of the party. But without spreading our ideas, we won’t realise the potential.
It is not that the masses reject our ideas. It is that they mostly don’t ever hear them. That is why most of them are fighting for short-term reform, with no clear long-term future solution.
ICWP is the future solution. Communism is the solution. A society with no exploitation, no money and no private accumulation of wealth is the solution. A society that seeks to destroy racism rather than use it is the solution. A society that solely exists to take care of the needs of the masses, not individual profit, is the solution.
Many more people, young and old, agree. With discipline and dedication many more will join the party and take the communist struggle forward.