Beloved Tony Hall

[posted early for Saturday]

“Tony Hall was a principled, life-long fighter for truth & justice, a man who dedicated his life to others and to uncovering/telling the uncomfortable. Tony was a wonderful father and husband, a staunch friend and comrade who enjoyed life and was never afraid of speaking truth to power.

“He made me laugh and he always made me think and debate. I will so sorely miss his laughter and his joviality, his argumentativeness, his love for those close to him, his commitment to seeing good done and wrong exposed. In many ways, he was like a second father to me.

“Hamba kahle Tony - you will forever remain in my heart and soul.”

Dale McKinley

Tony Hall passed away on 31 January 2008.

It would be tempting to pass over the next item, because of the name, even though it is a completely different Tony. But let’s not do that. Tony Hall was not one to duck any controversy. See the link for Xolani Xundu’s report about SACP Western Cape Secretary Khaya Magaxa and COSATU Western Cape Secretary Tony Ehrenreich. Is this a “war between the frogs and the mice” or is it a serious thing? At this moment the Communist University, in Johannesburg, cannot tell you. We await better information, but we note that this matter is now in the public realm.

Meanwhile in Cape Town the police are back to their tactic of shooting strikers without warning and beating up the organisers. See the second link.

The public examination of the Eskom power-supply failure continues. The Mail and Guardian has found out that ANC investment company Chancellor House is involved in not just one but two contracts for the building of power stations. Politicsweb reports that the arrangement of the coal supply is the cause of the power outages, and not decisions taken in 1998. Politicsweb thinks that President Mbeki’s famous and unique “apology” is nothing more than misdirection, designed to draw attention away from the real culprits. It has certainly looked like that, all along. See the two linked items, below.

ANC SG and SACP Chairperson Cde Gwede Mantashe addressed the YCL on the subject of the Scorpions, and on education. See the linked report, from the Business Day.

The YCL has a new “Bottom Line” out. Click here to read it.

The Communist University tries to come out regularly, ideally five times a week, on weekdays, but sometimes at weekends when there is material. The idea is to go out early in the morning. This has become much more difficult to achieve in the circumstances of constant fear of power cuts, and actual power cuts. Hence the postings like today’s, which would in former times have gone out in the morning.

Click on these links:

Tony the Trotskyite selling out, Xolani Xundu, The Times (392 words)

Fury as police fire at march, Anton Ferreira, The Times (276 words)

ANC power grab, Stefaans Brümmer and Sam Sole, M and G (728 words)

Eskom - The real cause of the crisis, James Myburgh, Politicsweb (1582 words)

Scorpions a monster - Mantashe, Sue Blaine, Business Day (530 words)

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