Straws in the Wind

Some days you think there is nothing, but then you notice straws in the wind. For example, the ANC NEC notes “challenges and shortcomings, including with respect to the operation and coherence of the NEC”, which are to be reflected in the political and organisational reports to the 52nd National Conference, scheduled for 16-20 December, in Polokwane, Limpopo Province. Could this lead to a serious debate on the reconfiguration of the Alliance at Polokwane? See the first link below.

Mackenzie Kinmond reminds us that there is to be a Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Uganda from 23-25 November (i.e. this coming weekend), and what we should be pushing for. Once again, our media have not written about this. Comrade Mackenzie is writing to the Swaziland Solidarity Network Forum, but her work is of higher quality than the “mainstream” media. This is the way things are going.

Another world story that has been buried by the local media is the Chang’e-1 Lunar Probe. But if it was something to do with Richard Branson it would be all over our newspapers and TV. The probe will take up its final position on Monday and start its main work. There is a new Xinhua report about it here.

Thanks also to the electronic media, there is a lovely review of the Communist University’s Plug-in City by our good friend and long-time CU reader Ebrahim-Khalil Hassen. With its Thought Leader pages, the Mail & Guardian is canonising its own stable of bloggers, and so re-expropriating the spontaneity of the Internet and trying to trap its revolutionary power. But where will they get good writers from, if not from the wild - and from the communists?

Dr W E B DuBois (pictured above) joined the Communist Party at the age of 93, and left the United States for good in that year to go to Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana. Click here for his application letter to the CPUSA, courtesy of the W E B DuBois Virtual University. That’s interesting, but Dubois’ own words are even more interesting. Some great quotes are reprinted within the article by Heather Grey from Counterpunch, linked below.

In Johannesburg this morning, starting at 10h00 in Library Gardens, there will be a march of residents and hawkers. See the statement of the Iketsetseng Hawkers Forum linked below.

The Communist University meets this evening at 17h00 in the SACP Boardroom, 3rd floor, COSATU House, 1 Leyds Street, Braamfontein. We will look at some chapters from Machiavelli’s “The Prince”. Next week we will look at a project for Local Dual Power in Johannesburg.

Don’t forget the “Coming Events” (see below).

There is a nice piece based on Eve Hall’s life story in the Nairobi “Nation” newspaper – click here.

Click on these links:

ANC Conference, Constitution, and NEC Report, 19 November 2007 (654 words)

The Commonwealth and Democracy in Swaziland, Mackenzie Kinmond (1054 words)

The Red Plug-in City, Ebrahim-Khalil Hassen, Chasing Waterfalls (485 words)

Another Look at W.E.B. DuBois, Heather Gray, Counterpunch (1869 words)

Residents, hawkers march to Jhb Mayor, Metrorail, 20 November 2007 (334 words)

Coming Events