Capitalism is Capitalism

Tokyo Sexwale bought his wife an 8-seater Lear Jet for a Valentine’s Day present. This is the kind of thing you can do if you are “deployed to the private sector”. And if Comrade Tokyo should be re-deployed back into politics, would Judy get to keep the jet? You bet she would! Khathu Mamaila does not usually criticise the bourgeoisie in his City Press column, but this example of conspicuous consumption was just too much even for him. See the linked article below. The SACP’s discussion document on “State Power” (729 views) is one of the most popular pages on the Communist University web site. At the bottom of that page, links are provided to many other related documents. Not so many people have viewed the ANC NEC discussion document on challenges of leadership as yet (63 views). Linked below is the City Press’s short version of it. The truly sensational reports in the Johannesburg Star carried here two days ago have brought forth a response, kindly sent to the CU by Dale McKinley. It is by The Reverend Nicholas Mkaronda of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and it is linked below. It includes the following paragraph: “I want to first of all thank the newspapers for bringing these stories to light, and must say that I do not doubt in any way their observations about the issues of Zimbabwean refugees at the church. I think one of the roles of the media is to inform society of the burning issues in a community. Thank you very much.” This is a lot different from Hassen Lorgat’s letter to The Star yesterday, which starts off like this: “The article "Place of worship now a den of inequity" (The Star, June 8) by Solly Maphumulo, with a picture of a once "posh church", is a hatchet job that should not be allowed to pass off as quality journalism. It is motivated by xenophobia.” Lorgat is the Communications Manager of the SA NGO Coalition. In an inter-union dispute over affirmative action, COSATU affiliate NUMSA lambastes FEDUSA and others for seeking to put a time limitation on affirmative action that is unrelated to the achievement of the general goals of that policy. See the linked item below. Today’s Young Communist League Press Conference will inform us of the YCL’s initial response to the SACP discussion document, their demand for release of certain papers from the Intelligence Ministry, and their plans for the current YCL Youth Month. See the notice link below. There are two COSATU marches today in Gauteng. About 1000 FAWU members will be marching to the head office of Kraft Foods SA at Woodmead (Woodlands Office Park) at 13h00. The union will be handing over a memorandum detailing a list of demands. And the Gauteng Province of the Congress of South African Trade Unions will be picketing at the Australian High Commission, 292 Orient Street, Arcadia, Pretoria, (Opposite USA Embassy) from 12h00 till 14h00, in solidarity with the Australian Council of Trade Unions, who are fighting against draconian new labour laws passed by the Howard conservative government. Click on these links: Capitalism is capitalism, Khathu Mamaila, City Press (733 words) The ANC’s future, by the ANC, City Press (2301 words) Response re Jhb Central Methodist Church, Rev N Mkaronda (2020 words) NUMSA, Limiting affirmative action will distribute resentment (363 words) YCL press conference, State Power, conspiracy, youth month POA (notice)