The many years of suffering endured by
Activists of the liberation movement in exile, prisons, an underground
was because the apartheid capitalist establishment was suppressing and
repressing any possibility of implementing the Freedom Charter. The
Liberation Movement ascended to negotiated political power in 1994, and
abandoned all the principles, values and aspirations contained in the
Freedom Charter.
 |
| EFF leader Julius Malema |
26 June 2014
Today, the 26th of June 2014 marks exactly 59 Years since the Congress
of the People adopted the Freedom Charter. It was on the 26th of June
1955 when delegates from all corners of South Africa gathered in
Kliptown to adopt the Freedom Charter as a blueprint, definition and
programme of what attainment of freedom will entail in South Africa.
Post adoption of the Freedom Charter, the apartheid machinery increased and heightened its repression against the liberation movements and all political activity which sought to challenge white political and economic domination. The liberation movement was banned, exiled, and its leaders incarcerated because they had a vision called the Freedom Charter.
20 years since the first inclusive elections, the EFF is the only political organization in South Africa that genuinely upholds the aims of the Freedom Charter and in pursuit of the radical programme. The rest are just giving lip-service to the Freedom Charter because they are drugged by “the tranquilising drug of gradualism”.
The many years of suffering endured by Activists of the liberation movement in exile, prisons, an underground was because the apartheid capitalist establishment was suppressing and repressing any possibility of implementing the Freedom Charter. The Liberation Movement ascended to negotiated political power in 1994, and abandoned all the principles, values and aspirations contained in the Freedom Charter.
In commemorating and acknowledging the superior logic contained in the Freedom Charter, the EFF says that the ANC led Liberation Movement has abandoned the Freedom Charter, and here are just some of the examples:
1) The Freedom Charter says, “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white”
Judging by the property relations and the fact that white minorities continue to own South Africa, the statement that “South Africa belongs to all who live in it” is not a reflection of reality. South Africa belongs to those who colonially conquered the indigenous people of the African continent. This is reflected on the fact that the land, the Mines and all major property continue to be owned by those who owned before 1994.
2) The Freedom Charter says, “The mineral wealth beneath the soil, the Banks and monopoly industry shall be transferred to the ownership of the people as whole”
20 years after attainment of political power by the liberation movement, this noble and correct vision of the Freedom Charter has not been realised, and is not even on the agenda of the ANC Government, because their Vision 2030 says nothing about transferring mineral resources beneath the soil, Banks and monopoly industries to the ownership of the people as a whole.
3) The Freedom Charter says, “All other industry and trade shall be controlled for the wellbeing of the people”
20 years after attainment of political power by the liberation movement, this is not a reality. The post 1994 government has adopted free-market economic structure which has no control over the goods and services imported into South Africa and exported from South Africa, and as a result, industry and trade is not contributing to the wellbeing of the people.
4) The Freedom Charter says, “The land shall be shared amongst those who work it”
20 years since the attainment of political power, this is not a reality. The post 1994 government has dismally failed, even as per its own targets, to transfer land to those who work it. Land continues to be owned by few white people, the descendants of the colonial conquerors, who murdered and destroyed Africans to take possession of our land.
5) The Freedom Charter says, “The state shall recognise the right and duty of all to work, and to draw full unemployment benefits;
20 years into political freedom, this Freedom Charter vision is not a reality because more than 7 million South Africans looking for jobs do not have jobs, and a substantial component of those employed are employed through labour brokers, therefore not drawing full unemployment benefits.
6) The Freedom Charter says, “Education shall be free, compulsory, universal and equal for all children; Higher education and technical training shall be opened to all by means of state allowances and scholarships awarded on the basis of merit”.
This is not a reflection of reality today because education is not free for all children and the post 1994 government is dismally failing in guaranteeing universal access to a critical and vital component of any education system, which Early Childhood Development (ECD). The post 1994 government is failing to appreciate that post secondary training and education capacity should be expanded to accomoddate all those who want to gain knowledge, skills and expertise.
7) The Freedom Charter says, “Slums shall be demolished, and new suburbs built where all have transport, roads, lighting, playing fields, creches and social centres”
Post 1994, Slums are growing bigger and more intense because there is no cogent and clear rural development programme. The current government celebrates this as ‘rapid urbanisation’, while it is in fact ‘rural depopulation’. Our people are subjected to extreme levels of poverty, diseases and starvation in the slums and the when government demolishes slums; it does not provide people with alternate quality and sustainable accommodation.
Paragraphs 30 and 31 of the Economic Freedom Fighters’ Founding Manifesto clearly spells the EFF’s approach to the Freedom Charter and says:
The EFF draws inspiration from the radical, working class interpretation of the Freedom Charter, because, since its adoption in 1955, there have been various meanings given to the Freedom Charter. The EFF’s interpretation of the Freedom Charter is one which says South Africa indeed belongs to all who live in it, and ownership of South Africa’s economic resources and access to opportunities should reflect that indeed South Africa belongs to all who live in it. The EFF’s interpretation of the Freedom Charter is that which says the transfer of mineral wealth beneath the soil, monopoly industries and banks means nationalisation of mines, banks and monopoly industries.
The EFF’s interpretation of the Freedom Charter also accepts that while the state is in command and in control of the commanding heights of South Africa’s economy, “people shall have equal rights to trade where they choose, to manufacture and to enter all trades, crafts and professions”, meaning that there will never be wholesale nationalisation and state control of every sector of South Africa’s economy. Nationalisation of strategic sectors and assets will be blended with a strong industrial policy to support social and economic development.
This is the EFF’s position on the Freedom Charter and one which we will fight for until victory. It is clear that the EFF is the only political organization in South Africa, which upholds the Freedom Charter and pursuing a radical programme to achieve its aspirations and vision.
Post adoption of the Freedom Charter, the apartheid machinery increased and heightened its repression against the liberation movements and all political activity which sought to challenge white political and economic domination. The liberation movement was banned, exiled, and its leaders incarcerated because they had a vision called the Freedom Charter.
20 years since the first inclusive elections, the EFF is the only political organization in South Africa that genuinely upholds the aims of the Freedom Charter and in pursuit of the radical programme. The rest are just giving lip-service to the Freedom Charter because they are drugged by “the tranquilising drug of gradualism”.
The many years of suffering endured by Activists of the liberation movement in exile, prisons, an underground was because the apartheid capitalist establishment was suppressing and repressing any possibility of implementing the Freedom Charter. The Liberation Movement ascended to negotiated political power in 1994, and abandoned all the principles, values and aspirations contained in the Freedom Charter.
In commemorating and acknowledging the superior logic contained in the Freedom Charter, the EFF says that the ANC led Liberation Movement has abandoned the Freedom Charter, and here are just some of the examples:
1) The Freedom Charter says, “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white”
Judging by the property relations and the fact that white minorities continue to own South Africa, the statement that “South Africa belongs to all who live in it” is not a reflection of reality. South Africa belongs to those who colonially conquered the indigenous people of the African continent. This is reflected on the fact that the land, the Mines and all major property continue to be owned by those who owned before 1994.
2) The Freedom Charter says, “The mineral wealth beneath the soil, the Banks and monopoly industry shall be transferred to the ownership of the people as whole”
20 years after attainment of political power by the liberation movement, this noble and correct vision of the Freedom Charter has not been realised, and is not even on the agenda of the ANC Government, because their Vision 2030 says nothing about transferring mineral resources beneath the soil, Banks and monopoly industries to the ownership of the people as a whole.
3) The Freedom Charter says, “All other industry and trade shall be controlled for the wellbeing of the people”
20 years after attainment of political power by the liberation movement, this is not a reality. The post 1994 government has adopted free-market economic structure which has no control over the goods and services imported into South Africa and exported from South Africa, and as a result, industry and trade is not contributing to the wellbeing of the people.
4) The Freedom Charter says, “The land shall be shared amongst those who work it”
20 years since the attainment of political power, this is not a reality. The post 1994 government has dismally failed, even as per its own targets, to transfer land to those who work it. Land continues to be owned by few white people, the descendants of the colonial conquerors, who murdered and destroyed Africans to take possession of our land.
5) The Freedom Charter says, “The state shall recognise the right and duty of all to work, and to draw full unemployment benefits;
20 years into political freedom, this Freedom Charter vision is not a reality because more than 7 million South Africans looking for jobs do not have jobs, and a substantial component of those employed are employed through labour brokers, therefore not drawing full unemployment benefits.
6) The Freedom Charter says, “Education shall be free, compulsory, universal and equal for all children; Higher education and technical training shall be opened to all by means of state allowances and scholarships awarded on the basis of merit”.
This is not a reflection of reality today because education is not free for all children and the post 1994 government is dismally failing in guaranteeing universal access to a critical and vital component of any education system, which Early Childhood Development (ECD). The post 1994 government is failing to appreciate that post secondary training and education capacity should be expanded to accomoddate all those who want to gain knowledge, skills and expertise.
7) The Freedom Charter says, “Slums shall be demolished, and new suburbs built where all have transport, roads, lighting, playing fields, creches and social centres”
Post 1994, Slums are growing bigger and more intense because there is no cogent and clear rural development programme. The current government celebrates this as ‘rapid urbanisation’, while it is in fact ‘rural depopulation’. Our people are subjected to extreme levels of poverty, diseases and starvation in the slums and the when government demolishes slums; it does not provide people with alternate quality and sustainable accommodation.
Paragraphs 30 and 31 of the Economic Freedom Fighters’ Founding Manifesto clearly spells the EFF’s approach to the Freedom Charter and says:
The EFF draws inspiration from the radical, working class interpretation of the Freedom Charter, because, since its adoption in 1955, there have been various meanings given to the Freedom Charter. The EFF’s interpretation of the Freedom Charter is one which says South Africa indeed belongs to all who live in it, and ownership of South Africa’s economic resources and access to opportunities should reflect that indeed South Africa belongs to all who live in it. The EFF’s interpretation of the Freedom Charter is that which says the transfer of mineral wealth beneath the soil, monopoly industries and banks means nationalisation of mines, banks and monopoly industries.
The EFF’s interpretation of the Freedom Charter also accepts that while the state is in command and in control of the commanding heights of South Africa’s economy, “people shall have equal rights to trade where they choose, to manufacture and to enter all trades, crafts and professions”, meaning that there will never be wholesale nationalisation and state control of every sector of South Africa’s economy. Nationalisation of strategic sectors and assets will be blended with a strong industrial policy to support social and economic development.
This is the EFF’s position on the Freedom Charter and one which we will fight for until victory. It is clear that the EFF is the only political organization in South Africa, which upholds the Freedom Charter and pursuing a radical programme to achieve its aspirations and vision.
No comments:
Post a Comment