I read with incredulity Ferial Haffajee’s diatribe against the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) (Polokwane Briefing: “The state, revolution and rhetoric”, June 30).
While engaged in the struggle to discontinue private ownership of the means of production, the SACP also strives to build a coherent and united nation, and end patriarchy. Our national democratic revolution has to build a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.
Certainly, the SACP remains consistent in the struggle to build a socialist future. But, with an apprehensive commitment to the national democratic revolution, our alliance partner has shifted to believe that growing the economy, while leaving intact the ownership patterns of apartheid, can build a better life for all.
The SACP is the first one to call for a stronger state, and a developmental state, to address the challenges faced by a majority of Africans in particular and blacks in general. A developmental state should not be a mere mediator of class relations, but should actively partake in or ensure socialised ownership of the production of vital commodities and services.
The SACP contends that certain conceptualisations, such as the “second economy”, could misguide effective policy responses to unemployment and poverty. In any capitalist economy, inequalities emerge, and South Africa’s are worsened by the dependent-development phenomenon.
Our admiration for Venezuela is based on the fact that the people of that country benefit from the state’s direct control of the main economic resource — oil. We have consistently called for the discontinuation of private ownership of mineral wealth beneath the soil and of energy production as the most vital economic resources in the South African economy. When these are not privately owned, the state can stimulate a vigorous, labour-absorptive and sustainable industrialisation process in the manufacturing and beneficiation sectors, which would ensure that all eligible people have quality jobs.
South Africa needs more land restitution; a strong, motivated, well-compensated public service; a skilled labour force; decentralised development; provision of basic services; and a strong economy to meet our developmental and poverty challenges. As an immediate programme, the colonial character of the South African economy should be halted and new, diversified industries developed to benefit the people.
Nyiko Floyd Shivambu is policy development and research officer for the South African Communist Party