Proletarian Movement

Some of the South African papers (but not all) have gone into a frenzy, to the extent where they seem to have invented so many plots that they have lost track of all of them. One paper even seized upon the latest “Umsebenzi Online” this morning, trying to twist some weird hidden message out of it. The plain version, in full, is linked below. Yesterday's Business Day’s editorial is not sensationalist. Nor is it a commercial for the South African Communist Party, although it does acknowledge the Party’s bravery in facing the question of elections. They are right. The SACP has not flinched form this question, and will continue to drive forward. Meanwhile, according to the radio, there is more chance of constituency-based election in South Africa, after all. This is not a surprise to the Communist University. The maths are simple. Louis Luyt proved the point. Proportional representation as we have it means that even one individual can make an impact, let alone a widely-supported party like the SACP. Hence first-past-the-post constituency-based elections are bound to become more popular with the bourgeoisie, as the prospect of SACP contestation looms closer. Which is not a bad thing in itself. A constituency-based parliament, with security of tenure for the individual MP, would be a much more lively place than the present echo-chamber, for sure. The Business Day’s editorial is linked below. The Swaziland Solidarity Network has issued a statement on the occasion of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting in Maseru, Lesotho. See the link below. Wellington Chibebe is the Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU). On Tuesday he was assaulted and detained by police at a roadblock. See the link below for the ZCTU statement and COSATU’s prompt statement of support and demand for the release of Wellington Chibebe. Click on these links: Proletarian character of TU movement, Umsebenzi Online, 16 August 2006 (1899 words) Let us just wait and see, Editorial, Business Day (680 words) Costly silence of SADC, Swaziland Solidarity Network (427 words) ZCTU Secretary General assaulted and detained, ZCTU and COSATU (445 words)