By Xolani Tseletsele
At times history has a way of presenting a new page for it to be rewritten. Only the conscious and the advance contingent of cadres can heed the call for a new moment of organisational renewal. The Free-State is the birthplace of the ANC, women-struggles and formations, as well as trade-unionism, it is in overall fact the base of our revolution.
Taking initiative on the outcomes of the court-case in relation to the ANC Provincial Conference of 2017, December, being declared null and void, unconstitutional is a moment of self-reflection. History repeats itself, which means, the Free-State is also a place where unscrupulous, anti-organisational processes are followed for narrow grouping interests. It is also a place of deep-rooted, cruel acts of violence against women and children. It is also a place of weak trade-unionism, ineffective, and a place where the working-class is faced with super-exploitation, dismissals, retrenchments etc.
In essence, the disintegration from our foundation creates more problems for our movement, rather than to preserve our history and pride ourselves of being the birthplace of the South African Revolution. There is too much focus on groupings, factions within the Province moreover being the organisational and political moral compass for the entire movement.
The ANC NEC can only discuss this question, but not with certainty of its proposals, although an important task for the highest-decision making body in between conferences. But, the responsibility is much more vested on the shoulders of each member of the ANC in Free-State, the willingness and zeal for fundamental change is within us. To not acknowledge from within, is an acceptance of the old order, to disintegrate from the National Democratic Revolution. To obsess ourselves with court outcomes does not necessarily translate to overall victory, or the defeat to others, but rather a learning curve. The threat to our organisational and political renewal is the organised and coordinated factions that have sustained themselves in the last 5 or so years. It will take a mammoth tasks to break them, hence there should be no haste for conferences, be it in branches, regions or province, we need an organisational programme focused on the theory of the organisation.
Another threat is that these factions are linked to those that exist in the ANC NEC, be it individuals within the ANC NEC or not, but there are links or favoritism, subjectively. If the ANC was to safeguard its discipline, all those involved in corrupting its processes is supposed to be trialled through its integrity commission or disciplinary committee. We have a collective responsibility to renew the ANC politically and organisationally. Cadre development should not be undermined on the basis of opening space for mediocre, which defines the level of politics in our province. There is a decline in ideological and intellectual debates, our academic-turned comrades have been isolated, leadership has no ideas, no views, highly indecisive on fundamental revolutionary questions. All young people should begin to occupy space within branches, communities and take leadership.
Prospects of renewal means an involvement of cadres in civil society, women day to day struggles, SGBs, various forums and committees within our communities. The renewal of the ANC is not based on imaginations and for interest of a few, but for society as a whole. The ANC in the Free-State has capacity to unite, rebuild and renew genuinely.
“The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. They do not represent the opinions or views of Central news