By Zukiswa Mqolomba
It is a worrying sign indeed when the leadership of the African National Congress can use its weight in strong and uncritical defence of the ANCYL president, a symptom of the burgeoning trend among its ranks of greed, avarice and an insatiable appetite to amass personal wealth, while millions of South Africans continue to live in misery.
It cannot be the position of the ANC to sanction comprador bourgeoisie tendencies within its ranks as demonstrated by the parasitic non-patriotic nature of its cadres in relation to the state, particularly its provincial arms and local municipalities.
It cannot be deemed characteristic of the ANC’s conceptualisation of the “new cadre” to show disregard for the struggles of ordinary South Africans, as demonstrated by the arrogant display of wealth (in the form of houses worth R4,6m, cars of R1,2m plus, R250k Breitling watches, lavish house-warming parties just-because-I-can, and monopoly tenders and contracts to the value of R140-million), so unashamedly and unsympathetically, while claiming solidarity with the suffering of the ordinary poor.
It cannot be that our ANC could possibly stand in strong defence of an inherited and well-entrenched value system that places individual acquisition of wealth at the very centre of the value system of cadreship, that it would dare not disown the “get rich! get rich! get rich” sentiments that continue to bring the congress movement to definite paralysis.
It cannot be that our ANC could possibly rise up in strong defence of a bourgeoning disease of greed, crass materialism, and conspicuous consumption that continues to broaden the social distance between politicians and their followers, that alienate both ANC members and communities and encourage the formation of alternative groups, both within and outside its ranks.
This is in great defiance of the great revolutionaries of our times. Great leaders like OR Tambo, Amilcar Cabral, Ho Chi Minh, Che Guevara, et al, have all written extensively on the subject of building a new [hu]man.
This act of the African National Congress is an act of arrogant defiance. Calls for reconstruction of the soul of the congress movement and broader society, is in essence about building a new cadre, a cadre who is “selflessly devoted to revolution, demonstrates humility to the people, volunteers himself in pursuit of an equal society, and possesses revolutionary honesty, telling no lies, neither claiming easy victories”. (ANC, national general council 2000).
The ANC’s strategy and tactics (2007) states categorically that “there is an existent value system within our society, owing to our past and the current social relations of capitalism, that encourages greed, crass materialism, and conspicuous consumption. Among the offsprings of this value system is included corruption in state institutions and society as well as corporate greed reflected in outrageous executive packages, short-termism in the conduct of business and private sector corruption”.
The party clearly understands the root of the problem of corruption resides largely in thought, preoccupation and motive. Alas, corruption is an act and crime of greed and crass materialism, coupled with a disregard for moral ethos. An act that sanctions greed, crass materialism and conspicuous consumption, and defends an unashamed self-centred preoccupation to getting rich, can only be a damned recipe for internal paralysis. It watches blindfolded as comprador capitalism, counter-revolution and reaction breeds from within.
The ANC has long agitated for cadres of “high quality with a high level of revolutionary consciousness, organisational discipline, and moral and political integrity”. President Jacob Zuma has also been heard making reference to developing a new public-sector cadre: A new public servant, a servant of the people. Politicians should not be immune from similar demands, due to the public nature of the offices they occupy, and the level of influence they exert on the thinking and life of general society.
Could it be that this ANC is offering a new value proposition of the “new cadre?”. Has the ANC reconceptualised the movement’s prototype, and embraced it as an accurate reflection of the aspirations of our beloved movement?
I couldn’t agree more with Natho Mthethwa when he says in Umrabulo, 2000: “the new dispensation has seen cadres of the movement being exposed to massive resources under their control. In most cases this situation has tested the commitment of such cadres to the cause of transformation. We have witnessed a string of un-ANC practices and tendencies of patronage, self-enrichment and cliques, to mention but a few. Clearly the new epoch is fraught with traps, which have eroded the fundamental ethics of the movement”.
It is indeed true that “the ability to differentiate between a wrong and a right by cadres in good standing is a clear indication that the ANC represents humanity’s best qualities”.
The ANC must take a difference stance, and wage a strong offensive among its ranks against inconspicuous, unashamed consumption and materialism. It must guard its soul jealously, alas we traverse the dangerous path of most revolutionary movements, and suffer the same fate as Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia, Zaire, Zimbabwe and Ghana, all in the name of the working class and the poor.
The ANC must salvage the progressive and democratic project against the hegemony of triumphant comprador capitalism within its ranks. At best, it must breed a patriotic beourgeousie, though theoretically incorrect and inconceivable. And no, I’m not a communist. The new cadre must guard against the temptation to become a parasite from the state in acquiring wealth, lest he be accused of using political power to pursue narrow selfish interests, in the name of the working class and poor. Let us build the new cadre.
Zukiswa Mqolomba is completing her Master’s degree in Social Sciences at the University of Cape Town. This article reflects her personal opinions and she writes as a concerned citizen.
Spot on and well written article.
I wish the Malemas and Yengenis of this land would identify themselves instead of bullying the media.
Good article Zuks, very poignant observations indeed.
Glad to see you haven’t lost your revolutionary spirit
Perhaps the problem lies in the terminology still used when not really appropriate anymore.
From the free dictionary:
“cadre [ˈkɑːdə]
n
1. (Military) the nucleus of trained professional servicemen forming the basis for the training of new units or other military expansion
2. a basic unit or structure, esp of specialists or experts; nucleus; core
3. (Military) a group of revolutionaries or other political activists, esp when taking part in military or terrorist activities
4. a member of a cadre
[from French, from Italian quadro, from Latin quadrum square]”
I would assume that the ANC used the word cadre historically as in the third explanation above. Is this totally appropriate in a democracy? Do we still need freedom fighters when we are free, liberators when the only thing they seem interested in liberating these days are tax money? Perhaps the veterans/cadres should get a well earned pension and leave the governing to those who are more interested in building than fighting. Terrorism is fine to oppose an evil regime but not to terrorise their own population through misgovernment.
Oh but it is. The ANC is not forged into a preconceived mold, but is a writhing chimera that can take any form. This is the problem with a brand that moves from hand to hand. If you bottle green chillies in an All Gold tomato sauce bottle, it is no longer tomato sauce. The marketers may sell it as tomato sauce, but it is only those who have never tasted the stuff who will believe what they are told.
The issue at hand now is, what to do? The majority who now have the controlling vote must rectify the mess. It is what they fought for, and must now take responsibility. The power they have won is very easily relinquished and taken away, not by the whites, but by their own black broithers.
There is not much difference between Malema’s Limpopo tenders and Chancellor House – Except the amounts involved.
This is proving to be the overriding characteristics that the ANC post 94 will be viewed by history.
It clearly comrade Zukie you have a lot to learn. Comrade in the ANC, when you have problem with another cadre you follow the correct channels and follow the protocols within the movement cadre, you dont leak information to the press. That means cadre you trying to cause problem within the movement. Now cadre the ANC is not defending coruption( Malema said it himself that investigate me if you suspect that I did wrong) but defending the ANC from the unrully elements within. I thought that cde you would have learnt that cde Hactor, cde Disco, cde Hash Pillay from your time at UCT.
Zukiswa – well done! However the consumption is conspicuous as it is in our faces!:)
Great and moving article!
As an old white guy I would never have thought, 16 years ago, that I would agree so much with the sentiments of a young black woman today! Well written article. Power to your pen!!!
Excellent, Zuki.
As often said nowadays, the biggest threat to the South African democracy and to the ANC is the ANC, or rather the new breed of ANC leaders. Why do you think the ANC repeatedly fails to punish its own members for unacceptable behavior and actions? I think it is because there is a huge misconception of what is loyalty. The people fails to punish the ANC because they must be loyal to the organization that liberated them. But isn’t unpunished corruption a new form of oppression? The ANC leadership never condemns the actions of its members because they are in it together.
The ANC has gone way beyond being able to heal itself. Voters are complaisant and ignorant in their blind support on the occasion of exercising their vote. Until they are curbed by the masses, no appeal will change their ways. In fact they are so used to the good life, that only the total expulsion of the party from government will change the scenario. ANC talks as if the Zuma govt is a change of government, but it is just “same old, different faces”.
Two lines of thinking come to mind regarding the greed of present SA elite.
One is SA centered.
Maybe the realisation will come at last that the enrichment of the connected few is antagonistic with the improvement in the situation of the majority who is struggling to make ends meet or to merely survive, which the ANC and SAPC and Cosatu have vowed to serve.
It is not what Julius is banned to become rich (as a Sepedi friend commented with tribalistic undertones). It is that the extra millions from state coffers thus dilapidated could be redirected to increase in teachers and nurse salaries, medecine in hospitals and the like (for which there is never a penny). Julius and co should become rich (if this is the aim of the game) through real, constructive work – like the rest of (unconnected) us.
The other line is that maybe it is a phase in the normalization of SA. The emphasis on black entrepreneurship, initiated during the Mbeki era, evokes a period in French history in late 19th cent when government encouraged powerful banks and companies through allocating public works. Everything seemed up for grab. This created a powerful bourgeoisie that supported the social statu quo, as well as much misery among hte underdog.
At least it was not done in the name of the poor….
africa lover
Very well written.
Great post, Zukiswa!
Do hope there are enough like you to fill parliament one day in the not too distant future.
The article was OK, if a trifle clouded by the sort of language one associates with Cuba and teh Marxist-Leninist rump. The language gets in the way of causal analysis.
In the UK there is a saying that Tories get caught in sex scandals and Labour in money scandals. There is much truth here. Real Socialists (and I speak as one) do not understand money/wealth and materialism once they have access to it. When New Labour got into power they were dazzled by the wealthy, the celebrities, and the neo-liberal capitalistic fantasies.
Consequently the UK got much more privatisation than Thatcher had dared provide and throwing money at social problems was the answer to everything. Every ministerial defence of education or NHS failure was prefaced by “we have spent/given more money than…”
Real socialists would laugh at someone with more than one Ford and spit on ayone’s gold watch, as they would care about the value, real value of money. What we need to do is begin a laughing(spitting) cadre comprising brave people who burst into hysterical laughter at the sight of anyone who is ANC in a posh car or Gucci suit. Share the laughter over our cellphones. That is what happened to our friend Eugene when a young black guy shouted out “where’s your horse” just as he was winding up.
We, Africans, are great at laughter, so let’s laugh at the blind, materialistic fools.
It is our ANC that stands in strong defence of an inherited,who from i wonder, and well-entrenched value system that places individual acquisition of wealth at the very centre of the value system of cadreship
Since when have public ‘servants’ ever not used “political power to pursue narrow selfish interests, in the name of the working class and poor.”?
Like JRR Tolkien’s Ring, power corrupts all who once hold it… No exceptions; to expect different is to display galactic naivete.
That is the cost of a hopelessly ineffectual constitution, the purpose of which is to constrain ‘power’ of bearers and bind them to public SERVICE, not afford them reign to lord it over ordinary citizens and assume special privileges.
“[...] the great revolutionaries of our times. Great leaders like [...] Ho Chi Minh, Che Guevara, et al, have all written extensively on the subject of building a new [hu]man”
They have indeed!
Quote:-
“To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary…These procedures are an archaic bourgeois detail. This is a revolution! And a revolutionary must become a cold killing machine motivated by pure hate. We must create the pedagogy of the The Wall!”
–Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara
Che was a murderous thug who shot anyone who stood in the way of his ambitions, Ho Chi Minh was a dictatorial butcher who directed the massacre of some 36,000 civilians, many in ‘his’ own North Vietnam to enforce absolute rule through blood and terror.
Don’t believe it?
For example, the An province, which included Ho’s birthplace village of Nam Dan, resisted unbearable tax imposition.
Early November 1956, Ho sent in troops to collect, then shoot. About 6,000 unarmed villagers were killed.
Look it up.
This reeks so of the institutionalized mind of leftist propaganda stumbling from one revolutionary catch phrase to the next, that ends in obfuscation. I once worked in old GDR, in an antique bookstore where tons of volumes of Stalin, Lenin, Ulbricht, the Politbureau Collected works etc. filled the shelves and gathered dust, these volumes were filled with the kind of agressive, posturing language one finds in this article.
But what is really frightening is Ho Chi Minh raising his ugly head,- the ANC beeing chided for straying from the luminous path he forged alongside other revolutionaries in creating the new (hu)man. beware the new ANC cadres, comrades.
Sipho (is that realy your name)? Perhaps Zukiswa wants a better life than the ANC can deliver? The Blog is articulate, honest & from the heart. Do not try to scare people about being unfaithfull to the ANC. You have cheated the masses who voted ANC since you came into power. If you refuse to listen to the new generation like Zukisua, you do it at your peril!
Zukiswa in one sense a good article because it tries to address the corruption which seems to have infected the behaviour of the current leadership of the ANC. But I don’t think it is just a case of the cadres being confused in their understanding of the ANC’s own language. I think they understand the language perfectly well but the language is just a smokescreen for public consumption whilst the cadres get on with the one task that really motivates them and that is self enrichment by the misappropriation of public money.
For those puzzled by the call to “…salvage the progressive and democratic project against the hegemony of triumphant comprador capitalism …”
She’s saying that they must stop stealing the money.
A Mandela-Rhodes scholar, huh.. What a load of hogwash Talk about falling standards, Rhodes must be rotating in his grave.
‘it cannot be, it cannot be, cadres..’
All hot air, no doubt you’ll end up with your snout in the trough like all the others once you complete your subsidised studies.
I think you are barking up the wrong tree.
Whilst you do mention the ANC and its condoning this new paradigm of politics we have slowly been shifting towards, it is the “movement” that spawns the cadre and not the cadre the movement.
Jacob Zuma, Thabo Mbeki, Nelson Mandela and in this week’s Sunday Times even Jesse Duarte make known that they serve the ANC.
If the ANC was a religion, it would be “they will be done and to hell with all else”. It is the movement that needs rapping over teh knuckles for not providing political direction. Never having run a country before and having much to learn, the ANC should have anticipated hiccups like the ones currently experienced and made the necessary preparations for today 10 years ago.
The ANC is dying. Long live the liberation movement.
It seems that Zuki is quite the hero, but really she’s stating the bleeding obvious, and what’s been going on for years since 1994, and for decades in the rest of Africa. Has no-one read ‘Animal Farm”!? While originally founded by genuine men with sound principals, the ANC soon became the criminal organization it shows itself to be today. It took bullies and thugs to overthrow the NP bullies and thugs, it’s just going to take another generation to figure this out and actually use their vote. Just another African story – YAWN.
selflessly devoted to revolution, demonstrates humility to the people, volunteers himself in pursuit of an equal society, and possesses revolutionary honesty, telling no lies, neither claiming easy victories… yep that sounds like me