Blade Nzimande, General Secretary of the South African Communist Party. Photo from Wikipedia (public domain).
29 July 2015
A young student at a University in Cape Town was only known by his “nom de guerre” - Komanisi. He acquired this nickname for two reasons, one, because he was a tireless and dedicated SACP activist on campus and, two, because for the entire duration of his studies he proudly wore an SACP t-shirt, a t-shirt that when first donned was a deep red, then a faded tinged red and finally a palest pink/red.
Terry Bell’s article “SACP’s flag is palest pink” is important for a number of reasons. It allows readers the opportunity to witness a narrative described in the SACP’s discussion document, “Going to the Root”, as an anti-ANC alliance and anti-state “radicalism” - left (and right wing) version of contemporary political dynamics.
The article also allows readers the opportunity to gauge the extent to which analysts and critics of late have subjectively removed themselves from objective journalism and analysis, and placed themselves in the corner with anyone and everyone that opposes the Tripartite Alliance, whether so-called radical left, liberal centrists or even the conservative right.
Not to nit-pick each and every inaccuracy in his “opinion piece”, but Bell’s anti-SACP article is one of quite a few in recent weeks originating from various prominent writers and personalities. All these recent critiques coming from different ideological quarters (different, but yet so similar), at a time of frank internal reflection and evaluation on challenges facing the Alliance, and after a number of important Tripartite Alliance gatherings, including the Alliance Summit, the SACP’s 3rd Special National Congress and COSATU’s Special National Congress, all of which pledged the necessity of strengthening unity, to ensure that our differences do not get in the way of “working together in common action to realise the objectives of the National Democratic Revolution”.
The recent flow of anti-SACP articles, including Bell’s tongue-in-cheek critique, all have similarities, including a clear agenda of attempting to spread division amongst the ranks of the Alliance, of predicting outcomes and “splits” from the sidelines, of promoting and publishing individual personalities to spite organisations based on collective principles and generally being void of any real analytical thinking in terms of the outcome, decisions and resolutions of these recent historic gatherings.
What is most significant in Bell’s piece, albeit slightly camouflaged, is the narrow trend of diluting and belittling everything the Party does, to a state power debate. For a “labour columnist” to resort to this trend without even considering the resolutions decided upon at the SACP’s Special Congress, quite clearly points to Bell’s personal alignment with the exasperated anti-SACP, anti-alliance and anti-Government narrative.
Perhaps it is time, therefore, to ensure that young and upcoming political writers and analysts do not become confused and disgruntled “Fukuyamists of the left” and are equally not overly influenced by witty tabloid pieces, but instead form their own objective ideas and focus their energy on the content and context of historic events and decisions.
As for the SACP, Mr Bell, the palest pink/red of our flag (and t-shirt) is a result of ninety-four years of tireless and dedicated unbroken struggle in serving the working class.
Mitchell is SACP Western Cape 2nd Deputy Provincial Secretary.