Public sector unions in South Africa, supported by the whole of the working class, are in conflict with the ANC government over a decent wage – bringing to an end the settlement that was made after the release of Nelson Mandela whereby the black middle class was given the role of managing South African capitalism, which remained owned by international and South African capital, with the land still in the grip of the white farmers.
This class compromise, which allowed the ruling class to remain and saw the black middle class take its place in the sun, put an end to state sponsored white racism, but left the South African workers and the landless millions where they were, with low pay, no land, with mass unemployment and no proper homes or healthcare.
The current strike wave, which is pitting the working class and the poor against the ruling class and its ANC government, marks not only the end of the compromise brought about by the release of Mandela, it heralds the next stage of the South African revolution, where the working class must lead the poor and the landless to the taking of power, the expropriation of the bankers and the capitalists, and to socialism in South Africa, an event that will revolutionise the entire African continent.
One of the peculiarities of the situation is that at the centre of the South African government, and amongst the leadership of the trade unions, is the South African Communist Party.
It has up till now been able to ride both horses, the trade unions and the ANC government, at the same time.
It will not be able to do this any longer, and without doubt its leadership will go with the government while much of its rank and file will be fighting in the ranks of the trade unions.
Already, soldiers are threatening to mutiny over orders to do the work of striking hospital staff, as the tripartite alliance between the ANC, COSATU and Stalinist South African Communist Party (SACP) begins to bust apart.
The strike is now in its third week and the ANC government is growing increasingly alarmed. ‘It is to be dangerous in the long term when the trade union movement thinks it is easy and fashionable to attack the ANC,’ said ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, speaking at the funeral of former National Union of Metalworkers President Mthuthuzeli Tom.
Cosatu General Secretary Vavi was at the same funeral. He said: ‘Our 16 years of democracy have seen a steady decline in labour’s share in national income. This is reflected in shocking levels of poverty and inequality, which are getting worse by the day.’ Vavi said this inequality was at the heart of the public sector strike.
It is clear that the world capitalist crisis is driving South Africa to a socialist revolution, to complete the struggle that began over the question of national and political rights for the black majority, but which cannot be resolved unless the means of production are nationalised under the workers and landless black masses’ control.
Stalinism, the main agency of imperialism in the workers’ movement, has played a thoroughly counter-revolutionary role in South Africa. It has held the working class back, but now the working class is pushing forwards.
The only way to complete the South African Revolution is to establish the new, revolutionary leadership amongst workers, by building the South African section of the International Committee of the Fourth International.
The Fourth International is the World Party of Socialist Revolution, the movement founded by Leon Trotsky, to carry forward the fight for world revolution against the betrayals of Stalinism.
The hour for its building has struck all over the world.
Forward to the victory of the South African and world socialist revolution!
