Ours was not a miracle: YCL Freedom Day message

27 April 2007

On the 27th April 1994, for the first time in the South African history, each man and woman was afforded an equal opportunity to cast their votes in the first ever democratic elections. The National Party government had surrendered from the crises they faced of sustaining Apartheid. International sanctions, armed struggle and the sabotage on key Apartheid economic sites, mass action rendering the country ungovernable and building strong structures of the Mass Democratic Movement had become the necessary pressure points to ensure that the Apartheid regime ultimately surrenders its policy of national oppression, economic exploitation and patriarchal domination.

This Mass Activism, involvement of the people, the people being their own liberators signifies the extent within which ‘Power to the People’ can change societies and make revolutions. It also signified that South African transition from Apartheid was not a miracle, but was as a result of collective and massive action and pressure on the regime. Any suggestion that our liberation was a miraculous, unexpected act will merely disarm the people of their power to ensure that they defend and consolidate these gains.

Thirteen years later, as the YCL we declare that “The Struggle Continues”, “Aluta Continua”. We say so because some of the social relations that existed under Apartheid are continuing because of the capitalist nature of our transition. We say so because life for the millions of young people comprises of unemployment, poverty and HIV/AIDS. We say so because we alone are the drivers of this struggle, its locomotive, the generation that will succeed the previous one in consolidating this freedom and building socialism in our lifetime.

Celebrate and consolidate our democracy

We are not full of pessimism on the gains that we have garnered thirteen years after. The artificial and psychological make-up of apartheid has been thrown in the dustbin of history. White minority rule in the dustbin of history. Racial segregation is in the dustbin of history. Job reservation is in the dustbin of history. In their place there is freedom of movement, the right to organize and form trade unions or political parties, freedom of expression and an ongoing project of building our nation. We do not take all of these for granted, thus, we say to the youth that we should celebrate these victories.

In the past thirteen years, there has been transformation in sports allowing us to participate in the international platform with investments in facilities in black areas. There has been investment in education through learning materials, no-fee schools, improved security, better teacher training resources and improved curriculum. Young people, black and white from all manner of background live in Safety and Security. More people drink safe and clean tap water. More people have houses registered in their names. More people have access to electricity. These are important victories that we should defend and celebrate because we now live better than how our fathers and mothers used to under Apartheid.

Capitalism makes our freedom elusive

But then all of these are a house of cards. They are being built on the same foundation that housed a system which oppressed our mothers and maimed our fathers. We declare, as our mother body the SACP guides us, that Apartheid was the form in which capitalism manifested itself. In order for us to ultimately defend our freedom, change the Apartheid social relations, we need to smash the capitalist economic system. We have only chopped the visible oppressive nature of Apartheid, we need to go further and smash its underlying roots, which is capitalism.

We declare that the rights enshrined in our wonderful constitution and the freedoms guaranteed by that book are made elusive by the continued capitalist system of production. The colonial nature of our society and the continued ownership of the economy by white people is as a result of the underlying roots of Apartheid, which is capitalism.

Today, most young people aspire to participate in the economy and ensure that they help in job creation. Millions of young people see no difference between 1987 and 2007 because capitalism remains the wall of shame between freedom and oppression. Millions of young people remain unemployed. Millions of young people cannot pursue their education at tertiary. Thousands of young people are doing time in prisons. Thousands of young people are doing crime. Thousands of young people are trying to earn a living through prostitution and drug trafficking. We cannot let the capitalist system elude us of our right to life. We must smash the capitalist system.
   
Join the struggle for “a better life for all”

The Young Communist League is a vibrant, dynamic youth organisation which introduces young people to the ideals of socialism as espoused by the SACP. As the YCL, we believe that it is only through the building of socialism that we can overcome the wall of shame that binds us with apartheid. This is a society where all the means of production, the natural resources are socialised and owned by the entire population. It is a society where no man has to work for another and all men work for all. We must build a society where poverty, misery, competition for food, greed and self-interest will be history. It will be a society where there is no corruption, crime, prostitution, drug abuse and hunger. A society which Chris Hani and many others who died aspired and struggle for.

Like 1994, this society cannot and will not come as a miracle. It will take an effort and commitment to struggle, but it will be for the better. For us to attain this society, this true ubuntu, we need to build strong youth organisations. Young workers need to join trade unions. Unemployed youth need to forms themselves into organs of peoples power. We need to take charge of the transition period, make it meaningful and steer it towards socialism.

Complete our liberation struggle, fight for socialism in our lifetime

As we celebrate the Thirteenth Anniversary of our democracy, we call on the youth of the country to join the YCL as the first major step towards breaking the wall with Apartheid. We call on the youth of the government to shout and struggle collectively in order to be heard. A solo performance in the revolution is not as good as it seem in music. It is only though mass-choir, mass struggles, that we can build a better society.

Our Defiance Campaign and the 10 Youth Demands are major steps towards attaining our freedom. Our call for free education cannot be realized if it will be a solo performance. Our cry for jobs will not be heard as long as it remains the struggle for fragmented individuals. The end of poverty will not be as a sole planning and strategizing of a government ministry. It takes efforts. It is indeed a struggle.

For this collective programme, we need to be united against one enemy, Capitalism. In this unison, we also need to unite behind a minimum programme. This programme calls for the following demands to our government and a call for action to youth. These are:

1.      Free Education for all from Grade R to the first tertiary qualification by 2008

2.      Micro-finance for youth co-operatives, Small Medium and Macro Enterprise

3.      Treatment for HIV/AIDS infected youth

4.      Access to land for sustainable farming

5.      A safe and secure environment

6.      Recreational facilities to enhance our sports, arts and cultural abilities

7.      Access to Basic Services

8.      Housing Security

9.      One Youth cooperative in each Ward

10.  Food Security

In order for us to ultimately complete our liberation, we must smash capitalism and build socialism now. All of these will not be attained through pursuance of a miracle, but rather as a result of struggles waged by the youth.

All Power to the People
Matla ke a rona
Amandla Ngawethu
Socialism in our Lifetime