Miners Not Just “Open” to Communism but “Interested”
April 21 — At first, I was not really clear about the manifesto of ICWP, Mobilize the Masses for Communism. It was a long trip. As a more experienced comrade explained, I became clear that we have to abolish the present system and introduce Communism to the people. I learned that in Communism, when you are sick, you will be able to get cared for, and when you need shelter you will be able to get it.
I was not clear about how we will totally remove the capitalist system. Then the comrade explained that if we can mobilize and we have the masses then we can easily overcome this system, we can easily achieve everything we are looking for. Then I became clear.
When we arrived in the mining area, the response was very positive. People were so interested and wanted to know more about the organization!
Especially when we went to the miners’ hostels. That’s where I was most impressed to see that they are eager. They wanted to know about the Red Flag. And they wanted translation of the Red Flag in three other languages. Twelve languages are spoken in the hostels.
They saw that we came from a long way. They wanted to know more about the organization. We made some contacts. If we keep in touch with them we can get a lot of great and positive response there.
Someone asked whether the miners in the hostels coming back from their second shift were open to our ideas of mobilizing for communist revolution. It’s not “open” but “interested.”
A local miner said to me that he liked the idea of communism. They were very very interested. They even said that this must not be the last time that we go and visit them and talk about the organization and the ideas of communism. They want us to continue visiting.
Quite a huge number of miners live in that hostel, maybe 2000 to 3000. And there are several hostels like that all around Marikana. It’s an open ground to mobilize the masses for Communism.
If we can make regular visits to them, we can get a lot of people to join ICWP. They were keen. They said we must come back and bring literature about the organization. I must educate myself more to be better able to explain the ideas to them. I can see for myself that they wanted to follow us.
Is Communism Possible?
Communism is a good idea and I think it is possible if we come together and become one and share the same ideology. A society without money—we have to be clearer to people about that, because they won’t understand it.
But the more I read about ICWP’s ideas and how it will work—it says we are going to share skills. If I’m a brick layer and another is a carpenter, I’m going to teach him to be a brick layer and he’s going to teach me to be a carpenter.
So, we can work, end resource wars and be able to look after our children, eat and have shelter. So, if we can do that and share our skills, work and share for common use and not for profit, if we are clear minded about that, I think it will be possible and can work.
I’ve been changed by this four-day road trip. The more I read and discuss, the more interested I become. The things in Red Flag happening internationally, they are happening here in South Africa. And especially when we went to the miners and we talked about the Party, I became more committed than before.
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