One of the most powerful texts ever written, The Communist Manifesto, opens with a very instructive statement: “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles”. This statement still holds and will probably hold for another century or so. Almost all the nations in the world have to contend with this sad reality, the reality of class struggles and associated ramifications. In the same vein, or even more pressing, is the challenge confronting most nations to effectively redistribute wealth and expand human capabilities — as per calls from various scholars and activists.
Debates continue in an attempt to find solutions to the class question and on how to bring about effective human development. Just to clarify, because the concept of “human development” can imply different things to different people, in this context, human development implies expansion of human capabilities — as explained by Amartya Sen. Within a human development paradigm, human rights are not only about political freedoms but also about social and economic freedoms that expand human capabilities and choices. This could be a useful way of examining “human progress” and human progress is much broader and bigger than human development. The analysis of human progress has to, among other things, juxtapose the winners against the losers over a particular period of time.
The question of how South Africa is doing in its pursuit of effective human development has become more critical as the country increasingly witnesses the so-called service-delivery protests — the renewed “class struggles”. The main question is: who are the winners and who are the losers in the democratic dispensation? In other words, could it be that the losers are resorting to what many term service-delivery protests as an indication that social and economic exclusion have not been sufficiently addressed?
Antonio Gramsci, in one of his instructive essays on communism, opined that “workers and peasants are the two driving forces of the proletarian revolution … they are the revolution’s irreducible element, they represent the backbone of the revolution. For them communism represents civilisation: it stands for the system of historical conditions in which they will acquire a personality, a dignity, a culture, and through which they will become a spirit creating progress and beauty”. Many others have argued for a better economic system than the one which presently predominates globally. The matter of revolution has oft-times been linked to redistribution of wealth and it remains a question that nations must address — this is more so for nations such as South Africa where inequality and poverty remain at intolerable levels.
The indubitable fact of South Africa is that the democratic government, since it came into office, has designed many policies and programmes to address social and economic exclusion in South Africa. In addition, the country has undergone relatively significant reforms — institutional and otherwise — that aim at including the excluded. For example, many policies and programmes — even laws — have been implemented to redress the situation of children, youth, women, the elderly and people with disabilities.
In fact, it is widely accepted that South Africa’s democracy is founded on one of the noblest constitutions in the world. It is therefore in this regard that the rights of children, women, and so on are protected and their plight is under the spotlight — this is the hallmark of the democratic South Africa! In relation to children, women and so on, numerous legal and policy instruments are in place to give effect to the imperatives of the Constitution: the Children’s Act, the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, the National Policy Framework for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality, the National Policy for the Advancement and Coordination of Children’s Rights in South Africa, the Employment Empowerment Act, the Integrated National Disability Strategy White Paper, the National Youth Policy etc. Also worth highlighting is that Section 152 (1) of the Constitution requires that the government, among other things, ensures the involvement of communities and community organisations in policy formulation, programme design and implementation.
No matter what the debates are, it seems agreed that the government has implemented many programmes that were meant to address the plight of those who were socially and economically excluded in South Africa — the social protection system is one of those programmes that has tried to address the plight of women, children, people with disabilities and the elderly. However, it seems that a lot still needs to be done or things need to be done better. For instance, in spite of all the youth-related policy frameworks, it is estimated — according to the Centre for Development and Enterprise — that the youth make up 75% of those unemployed. Mortality — both maternal and children — remains very high and this is a major human-rights issue over and above a matter of quality of life. Similarly, rape cases are still high and rape counselling services appear to be missing. In addition, the harassment of particularly young women who are perceived to not conform to the values of some sectors of society is equally disturbing while they also generally stand the risk of being persecuted and ostracised by society during rape cases. Related to this is the difficulty women face, especially those living in the rural areas, in accessing and benefiting from the justice system.
With regards to people with disabilities, the World Health Organisation estimates that between 2.2% and 2.6 % of learners in any school system have disabilities or impairments. There are 380 special schools in South Africa that accommodate about 64 200 learners. This suggests that about 70% of children with disabilities or about 280 000 learners of school-going age, do not attend school. The challenges faced by the elderly are also equally, if not more, disturbing. In essence, women, children, people with disabilities, the youth and the elderly are disproportionately affected by poverty and other ills. They are also disproportionately affected by the poor quality of service delivery. As such, better interventions are needed. Also requiring urgent attention is the possibly inadvertent exclusion of farm dwellers and the Khoi communities.
Therefore, although some inroads are being made and some mileage gained regarding specific issues affecting children and so on, success is minimal. It is in this context that the so-called service-delivery protests need to be analysed. The weaknesses in addressing matters of youth development as an example could be a pressure point and is a ticking time bomb. It has been observed that most of “protesters” are young men — implying that society has not succeeded in institutionalising the young women and men. The young people are both our future and our future is in their hands. Strangely, they appear to be the main losers of the democratic dispensation so far. The education system fails them. Our communities fail them. The labour market fails them. We all fail them.
The challenge of the so-called service-delivery protests, just like violent crime, requires all of us to think hard about what has become of our young democracy. It would seem that the whole of society has a responsibility to address this challenge. Without getting into rhetorical debates about who or which institution caused the problem, among other things, the government needs to ensure that Section 152(1) of our Constitution is realised, communities need self-governance mechanisms, the private sector has to take pragmatic steps to address youth unemployment etc. The issue that needs to be addressed with more rigor and vigour is the inclusion of the excluded.
For now, the class struggles that young Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels analysed appear to continue unabated, though perhaps in a different form. Maybe the young men are trying to find the civilisation that “stands for the system of historical conditions in which they will acquire a personality, a dignity, a culture and through which they will become a spirit creating progress and beauty”. Let us join them in making this important dream a reality.
Dear Vusi,
Can you believe that just because I, a white man, own a company which was designed to create work for people of all race, creed, gender and social skills, creating funds for schools, old age homes, children’s homes, crime watch and ratepayers associations while combating climate change, I can get no support from government, and there are by-laws being written that will remove the ratepayers choice of service provider (not unconstitutional.
The Council has copied part of my system, but only enough to squash the potential good it can do.
Just to give you an idea, every 400 Mr Recycle clients generates R3 200, every month, for the above mentioned charities and associations; removes nearly 5 tons of recyclable materials from landfill and creates 7 jobs.
Yes to all of that and we now need to realise that government has failed us. How?
By being inscrutable and distant and ignoring the people it ought to be serving.
I am disgusted by the way that the City of Joburg treats its citizens. The IDP is not a joint venture, but what COJ wants to decide will happen. Ignore Diepsloot, very soon Alexandra will burst open and with good reason – I am impressed by their restraint. The arrogance of councillors leaves me speechless, the state of the city in tears.
Imagine 3 desires for improvement are being addressed per ward annually! Very little maintenance of existing infrastructure so that crises happen regularly. World class African City my foot – world class disaster already happening more like. I weep for Alex and Diepsloot because I know the conditions there. However, COJ is rapidly making every suburb equal – no roads, no sewerage and no water, yet still we pay.
Marxism — and all its narrow, flesh-gobbling philosophical introspectiveness — clearly still holds you in its thrall. It’s outre, Vusi. Fukuyama was right — we really ARE at “the end of history”. Liberal Democrats have won; socialists have lost.
Mugabe provided it – but his greed got the better of his “Class Struggle” philosophy.
Spread the wealth of the country to cronies.
This long winded reprimand can be covered with one word – make it two :
GOOD EDUCATION
Maybe the young men are trying to find the civilisation that “stands for the system of historical conditions in which they will acquire a personality, a dignity, a culture and through which they will become a spirit creating progress and beauty”.
Let us join them in making this important dream a reality.
Is the dream “instant wealth without labour?”
“the World Health Organisation estimates that between 2.2% and 2.6 % of learners in any school system have disabilities or impairments.”
The world has been addresing this in the Salamanca statement (http://www.unesco.org/education/pdf/SALAMA_E.PDF). SA is far behind with just under 40.000 learners in Special Schools in Gauteng alone.
Undiagnosed special needs candidates in mainstream remains a guess but is estimated well beyond 2% (more like 12%).
The roaring trade in Ritalin and similar “dof makers” are testimony.
On a higher social platform: revolutions have been started by the masses (French, Russia, Latin America…) and the elite has still not learned the “why” and “how” it all started.
They probably never learn.
Effective delivery depends on politics vs governance. We have a great constitution and as you so well detail many many laws etc put in place to assist the poor, destitute, infirm etc but this all fails as politics dominates governance.
An example, Cele’s appointment as the new Police Boss. He is a good, clever and inspiring politician but not an experienced feet on the ground tough no nonsense policeman. By all means make him Minister of Police but the top Cop must be an experienced policeman. There must be many capable Black police officers available. Beating crime does not come from a top Hollywood style Superman but stready step by step hard boring work at the coalface throughout the country by every police man and women.
This is also how delivery works, no other way and Marxists talk good when not in power but 100% experience over the last 100 years shows that no one who has been ruled by them wants them anymore.
Brent
the comunits manifesto? Really? which dusty shelf did you drage that rag off exactly?
I consider the flat and brainless rejection and ridicule of communism and socialism by some of our readers a remnant of the old “swart gevaar” attitude when Russia was trying to get its fair share of Africa.
Most West and North European governments are based on a pragmatic co-existence of Capitalist, Socialist, Communist systems with a little religious glue.
The poor are generally not so poor, the rich not so rich.
Ethics at times debatable but once fraud is discovered, action is usually swift.
Transparency? As much as possible.
And yes, these societies have grown from a different background, not to be compared with the African societies.
Don’t keep flogging the old horse of socialism and communism because PW Botha told you so.
On the side: for those who seriously want to know more about communism, go to Wikipedia and find that there are some 25 odd flavours of Communism.
Communism in Russia did not fail.
The Russian government failed through corruption and oppression of the largely uneducated and poor masses.
Draw your own conclusion for the current situation in SA and where it might be in 5, 10 or 15 years time.
When I read the words….”most powerful texts ever written” and “The Communist Manifesto” in the same sentence I look elsewhere for something to read. The myth of wealth distribution is right up there with the myth of a better life for all under an ANC government
“Maybe the young men are trying to find the civilisation that “stands for the system of historical conditions in which they will acquire a personality, a dignity, a culture and through which they will become a spirit creating progress and beauty”. Let us join them in making this important dream a reality.”
Yada, yada, yada!
Everyone in the working class really strives to become a member of the middle class. That’s how societies progress. Communism/socialism reduces everyone/everything to the lowest common denomnator.
Communism is only of academic interest as a failed politico/economic system. It’s just a load of claptrap that the leaders sell to the masses so that they can get power for themselves. It’s just a means to achieve power.
Development of personality, culture, progress, dignity and beauty just don’t enter into the equation.
Is this man the sort of analyst the government employs? No wonder nothing gets done!
It becomes disheartening to see the societal decadence and exclusion of the live wire of the society which are the youths. Suggesting communist seems unrealistic in this modern world where each and everyone asks, whats in it for me! May be within a centralised planning system, a socialist political system coupled or merged with a capitalist economic system might be a way out. In one of his speeches, Nelson Mandela phrased that the future is in our hands, if we can brace up and pick up few pieces, we might succeed in forming a whole. Doc, I absolutely hold my head up for you for this intriguing piece.
Without knowledge of what is meant by “class struggle” it is impossible to agree with the statement of the Communist Manifesto. I empathise with the writer’s dilemma in heaping praise on the government for its cut-and-paste policies that are remotely related to its beliefs, let alone its practices, while he has to contend with the reality of ordinary people protesting against those practices, on the other.
He unwittingly takes the final and fatal step that Gramsci himself had to take when he described “hegemony of the ruling class” where “once an ideology arises, it alters profoundly the material reality and, in fact, becomes a partially autonomous feature of that reality”
At best, this betrays the “narrow and unenlightening species of class analysis” that a number of Marxist analysts are ordinarily restricted to. At worst, it reveals the fundamental flaw made by modern politics; that they can identify the “masses” problems and their solutions address, when they fail to do the simplest of what governments are meant to to – deliver service for the tax payer money’s worth.
The sooner the government starts focusing its energy on efficient service delivery, and forget about shaping society’s opinion, the better for the tax payer. Because any person, or system based on passing laws to strip citizens of their hard-earned money on the pretext that it can run their lives for them, is against the laws of nature. It will be met with regular flare-ups by people.
Hi Vusi
In one week, after watching news; reading various analyses; attending the Wolpe Memorial Lecture by William Gumede (a relative?) and reading your blog, it is abundantly clear that there is no lack of incisive analysis and understanding about the problems that beset us as a society.
Then why is co-ordination and implementation guided by these insights so difficult? What prevents us from putting the collective shoulder to the wheel to cover the blind spots? What is it that makes us freeze like deer caught in headlights and allow warmaking methods on expressions of dissent/anger/woundedness to possibly become this society’s default modus operandi? What the x&*# is wrong with us?
It is not good enough for any beneficiary of past and present dispensations to claim innocence and point fingers. We drive inequality; we promote relative deprivation; we create ‘in’ and ‘out’ groups. We cry foul when we are singled out and targeted by those who perceive themselves on the outside with little hope of getting ‘in’ on things as basic as education, skills – a decent job. Dignity.
And then there is conspicuous consumption! We have to be the change we want to see in this world – starting with the enemy within – that self-love that enables us to close our eyes to injustice; that makes us suck up to fellow humans we deem ‘better’ and ‘more powerful’; that makes us forget that we are all equal in dignity and humanrights – even amongst the idealists.
This is a fundamental challenge that the country is facing 15 years into democracy. It think, Dr Gumede, it is significant to clearly state that amongst the excluded groups, the Black young men in particular, of productive working age are at the heart of this socio-economic morass. This group which played a significant role on the ground in mass political mobilisation albeit at times abused – is bearing the brunt of systematic government failures. Some of them, at some point, erroneously thought education was secondary to political emancipation. It is this group that was once referred to as the “lost generation”. It is this group which is now using the same energy (negatively), to make a crucial statement to our government that ‘patience is bottoming out’ over service delivery, access to economic opportunities and so on. I choose deliberately to talk more about this group, because of the perilous potential they possess to initiate and drive mass uprisings.
It is also disturbingly crucial to note that pomp, glitz and glamour by some of our political leaders across all spheres of government, especially at local government, are at the epicentre of people’s frustration and increasing loss patience. As Mark Gevisser, notes of former President, that these vulnerable groups, seem to feel their dream of better life is deferred. What is even more disconcerting is that some of our key political leaders seem to be reading the wrong message – that there could be “a third force”. The sooner government ACTS CORRECTLY the
Dr Gumede
This was indeed a incisive piece which trully provokes debate and discussion about where exactly is the country missing the point, because these challenges are not insurmountable.
For this I will surely be damned – but I am past caring: It is frightening that peacemakers surface only when conflict becomes manifest. It seems most of us are silent when we can collectively be of most help – BEFORE latent conflicts spill over into manifest violence. I guess it takes simply too much time and energy to float peacebuilding language into a deep dark hole. We look on while this society’s peacebuilding project has been reduced to a reactive, kneejerk, war-making/’peace enforcement’ response. And there is SILENCE from the Peace Industry because they are too busy writing books, attending conferences and ring-fencing their turf in various communities..
There is at the moment no mechanism where the peacemakers of this society are working in a CO-ORDINATED fashion to BUILD peace. Instead, most of the conflict resolution organizations have limited projects INSIDE this country and have followed funding into other parts of Africa. The rest labour in silence and mostly for the benefit of reports to their funders and seminars for the over educated. Peacemakers are reduced to reactive mercenaries who creep out of the woodwork when those who either ignored or could not read the ‘early warning signs’ run scared.
Instead of working together, NGOs compete for funds from funders who have their own country strategies, funding cycles – and bureaucratic red tape that effectively render their efforts semi-effective.
…cont’d below
…cont’d
Who is supposed to ensure CONTINUITY of the peacebuilding project that was initiated in the 90’s when the State is increasingly turning to ‘legitimate force’? Prevention is cheaper and less embarrassing than cure by teargas and rubber bullet – but do the peacemakers care? Hell no, its far more sexy to work in the glare of media panic and moral outrage than to do the tedious work of building peace, one concept at a time. Instead, we love to be those mysterious ‘experts’ who are deployed to walk on water when things fall apart. My behaviour is as complicit as the rest of the comfortably off beneficiaries of the old and new orders. The fact that I simply don’t have the power and the influence to change things does not mean that I will allow my shared contradictions to silence me.
So, Dr Vusi Gumede – what non-partisan ACTION are you going to take after carefully considering the various angles of our pervasive problems as you have been doing these past months? How are you going to leverage your influence to divert us from an increasingly violent path? How are you going to overcome the schisms and strata that divide us into our little boxes?
@ all pale faces!!!
what exactlty are you always complaining about?
there is no building peace until we have built houses!
the cries of the poor, are clear,: land, food and jobs!!!
you people are crazy!!! how is it that you think you are entitled? have you no shame and no memory? do you really think that you are deserving of anything?
there is only one solution, the one you are too afraid to speak.
but i am not….. there is no poverty alleviation without wealth alleviation…..
so stop whining or the TRC – truth and reclamation commission is coming for you…!!!! i mean really! are you for real?..
To turn the tide of discontentment requires intervention at all levels of our society. If we want the future of this country to be as bright as Madiba wished for, we all had to put our shoulders to the wheel. It is clear that majority of the youths are marginalized from the social and economic mainstream, hence their adverse reaction. History has taught us that the youths of the 70’s and the 80’s viciously stood up against marginalization by the then government. With stones in their hands they stood before guns in defiance to the segregating policies of government. What happened then is not different to what is happening now. Through the protests that are taking rounds now, the marginalized youths are signaling that they need to fully participate within the society and the economy. They need skills, jobs and any opportunities that will make them to be full citizens of this country. If we fail them as a collective then we should be prepared to leave with the consequence. Their actions call for an alternative to the current status quo. They are convinced that capitalism has failed with the economic meltdown and the more jobs that are shed daily reduce their chances of getting employed anytime soon. A need for an alternative cannot be overemphasized at this stage. What needs to happen is for the government to act swiftly by implementing its economic relief plan and cease to ceese further perpetuating inequality and poverty.
@yhcrana….. “there is no building peace until we have built houses!”….PRECISELY!!!!! but you forgot to mention health care and decent education both of which are collapsing
Let us ignore the subtext of your rant, and focus on what is important. What we “pale faces” are “complaining” about is that after 15 years the ANC government is not delivering on YOUR expectations and those of the poor. Instead they are governing very badly and wasting huge sums of money (our taxes) on issues unrelated to the poor despite all their promises. If you still do not understand what I am saying then I suggest that you think widespread corruption, expensive cars, parties, overseas trips, wasteful conferences, 5 star hotels, high-end restuarants, chartered air flights, jobs for incompetent cronies who then waste more money, very expensive “pale” consultants to clean up after the incompetent cronies.
The lack of understanding is not on the part of the “pale faces” it is on the part of those voters who blindly seek to blame “pale faces” for everything that is being done badly by the ANC.
Most “pale faces” do not suffer fools gladly and this leads to all the “complaning”.
@yhcrana, the goal of peacebuilding is social and economic justice. In addition, it is about reconciliation. I am sorry that space did not allow me to clarify the concept – sometimes peacebuilding and nationbuilding means the same thing.
I do not subscribe to reconciliation without redress – that is hypocritical.
As soon as I know what ‘race’ I am, I will let you know – I’m still deciding if identity is worth the venom it can draw.
Cheers
@ anton.et al
first, i agree with your comment that healthcare/ education etc. should also be included in my ‘rant’ and also i absolutely agree that it was a rant!!
however my issue is not with standing against corruption in government or being vocal about it. It is rather an expression of frustration that people of colour , specifically this is personal, feel when subjected to day after day of unconstructive blind criticism of a political party. My point is that the way that poor peoples lives play out in our country is appalling. And if you dont care about that then ot is also a situation of potential instability in an unprecedented way!
so perhaps all of you, who since 1996, have grown into the amazing conscience of our state, the soldiers of our democracry, who are always vocal against excesses, could rather engage constructively in focussing on issues of inequuity and solving these real problems, which before you grew into this highly conscious entity you helped create!!!
@Yhcrana – your ‘rant’ is justified. I just wonder how we can get beyond namecalling, race classification and fingerpointing to a place where we all work together (beyond party politics)for social and economic justice.
I don’t want to be anyone’s conscience, I’d like to be part of the solution… and in that process, I don’t want to be labelled and placed into an apartheid box or submitted to crude credentialism. It is enough that I was racially oppressed … I don’t want anyone else to continue to experience social and economic exclusion while having political liberation. There’s potentially enough goodwill in gov and in some political parties – I hope they all come together and include ‘ranting’ individuals. I hope we don’t wait in vain for co-ordinated effort.
Oh please yhcrana your parrotted rubbish cannot go unanswered. A lot of criticism is constructive. Be honest (not corrupt), use money wisely (don’t waste it), do appoint competent people to deliver services (not incompetent cadres).
Can you not see that the ANC has control of the country and all of the above. The pale people are powerless. Wakey wakey.
@yhcrana….once again you generalise and make unfounded assumptions.
We are not complaining about “people of colour” we are complaining about poor government. It might not suit you to believe this, but there are many whites (myself included) who despised apartheid. Our gripe is that the new dispensation is as bad as the last in terms of nationalist ideology and worse in terms of administration.
The plight of the poor was and remains a manifestation of incompetent and uncaring government. It is absolutely essential for all of us that the basic needs of the poor are competently addressed by dealing with the rapid deterioration in education, health care and housing. This is not happening and so we complain and we will continue to do so.
Hola Dibuda!
Questions If the deliveries of public service affecting the youth, and the disabled not worked, what mechanism were set in place to mediate for better interventions on the ground? or, What has happened in 16 years that these “Legal and Policy Instruments” were passed and their “actualization” for the intended parts of society? Can you unpack this line ” were socially and and economically excluded…?” What kind of ‘interventions” would you propose? By the way, what do you mean by “intervention”: Who should intervene, where, how and why? What will it take to get the government’s attention that these women, youth and children “face the challenge”, that is, what action has the government taken to ameliorate these conditions? Who ‘inadvertently” would leave out The Khoi and the Farm Dwellers and ‘why would this need urgent attention.
What sructural failures occured when the government failed to implements the government’s Section 151(1), how is the government, this time, ensuring that it is not only the Private sector that sponsors these government programs, but there’s some accountability required; community self-governing and for what philanthropic reason or even a humanitarian one should this materialize as? Let’s face it, state employees should not be the tycoons around town, they should be servants about town. If they are in the public service and public employees, the Bosses,(society) must act as the check and balances of all State. In a Democracy they are answerable to the Voters the Mzantsi Society
Hello Mgeve, I have judiciously followed your comments through the blogs, You seems to be a rational thinker but your points might have been improperly or unrealistically channelled. And many of your writing appears ad homine to me.Dr Vusi is the sponsor of the Young thinkers Association in facebook and we discuss analytical questions and ideas. I invite you to join us on facebook so we can meddle with your ideas.
With your last post on the blog, I agree with you that the Public servants should be upholders for democracy and should lead by example by serving the poor citizens,
I do wish we can engage and have some discussions.You can also email me at youngthinkersa@gmail.com.