Proletarians and Bourgeois

After nearly 24 hours down the Communist University wikispace web site came back to life. Adam at Wikispaces wrote: “That was a problem with a site update we made yesterday. Your space was affected because of a rare combination of factors all of which was our fault.” Thanks to all those who sent e-mails to Wikispaces on behalf of the CU. The items listed yesterday are now available, archived under “Comrade Wolf” (dated 2006-05-11). The CU will meet this evening at the Women’s Jail, 1 Kotze Street, Constitution Hill, at 17h00. Comrade Thando is held up in Madrid on his way back from the “Marx in the 21st Century” conference in Havana, Cuba, so we will not get his report-back this week. Instead, Comrade Makhi Ndabeni, chairperson of the SACP Johannesburg Central Branch, will open a discussion on “State Power”. The reading for next week (Friday, May 19th, same time and venue) is the first part of the “Communist Manifesto” (Bourgeois and Proletarians) linked below. Two major statements came from COSATU yesterday. The first was COSATU GS Zwelinzima Vavi’s input to the AGM of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry South Africa (Chamsa) on “The Role of Government in Creating an Environment for Economic Growth and Private Sector Development” (linked below. The head of the massed ranks of the unionised proletariat addressed the institutionalised bourgeoisie – an unusual occasion well used by Cde Vavi. The second was a detailed memorandum handed to the Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy by COSATU Gauteng Provincial Secretary, Siphiwe Mgcina, at a picket of the embassy by COSATU members, on the WTO and NAMA, as part of the Jobs and Poverty Campaign. See link below. SAMWU in Johannesburg has sent a statement about their strike yesterday, linked below. The ANC Youth League has declared its support for Jacob Zuma in the succession race for the ANC Presidency and subsequently the Presidency of South Africa. In spite of what the bourgeoisie’s mercenary “independent analysts” may say, this is a significant move by an ANC structure, which is within its rights to express a view on this matter. This follows President Mbeki’s open canvassing for a “woman president” (of which there is only one in the field at the moment, namely Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka - wife of the man the ANCYL refers to as “Malume Ngcuka”). There is now an open, public contest for the Presidency of the country. See the linked item below. Click on these links: Marx, Engels, Manifesto, Bourgeois and Proletarians (5181 words) COSATU GS Z Vavi, Role of Government, input to CHAMSA (1349 words) COSATU memorandum on WTO handed to US Embassy (972 words) SAMWU Johannesburg Strike Statement (402 words) ANCYL wants Zuma for president, News24 (223 words)