Economic freedom fighters (EFF) versus Africa National Congress (ANC)” “The next stage of South African independence” by Sammy Chiyangwa. The story of South African history and independence has drawn my attention as a young African. The ANC after having brought “independence” to black South Africans from white rule for hundreds of years, there are still questions rising up from all corners of South Africa. Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma to mention but a few contributed to the “emancipation” of the black South Africans with Nelson Mandela becoming the first black democratically elected president of South Africa. The question to ask now is, are South Africans truly independent? Are they truly emancipated? What is independence? Did the ANC achieve this goal called independence? What is now the role of EFF? First I will define what in my own view independence and emancipation mean. “Independence is the total accumulation of freedom, liberty and sovereignty of any people from any form of domination and interference in their economic, political, cultural, social and spiritual domains, leaving the independent people in total and complete control of their destiny for the full beneficiation of the people concerned”. (Samuel Chiyangwa 2013) “Emancipation is a process of unchaining the chained from mental, political, social, economic, cultural slavery, domination, exploitation and oppression of a people into complete liberty, freedom and sovereignty”. (Samuel Chiyangwa 2013) Is there a difference now between independence and emancipation? It must be recognized that while independence is the end result of emancipation, then emancipation is the means of achieving independence. As a process emancipation involves various other activities, policies, programs, actions and inactions. South Africa’s ANC managed then therefore to utilize elements of “emancipation” (which I will not go into detail) through the struggle fought by Nelson Mandela and others into forming the “1994 Independence of South”. The major challenge South Africa faces is clear, they obtained “political independence” through the machinery of struggle called the ANC but they did not achieve “Economic Freedom”. This I say clearly because the means of production is still in the hands of the sons and daughter of the former white oppressor, manipulator, slave master and imperialist minority over the empty handed majority blacks. Agricultural land 95% is still owned by this group against the black majority, 97% of big co operations in mining, tourism, manufacturing, service provisions are still owned by the few whites. In all these significant sector and means of production, the black majority is still the worker and the white men the boss. When Nelson Mandela came with political independence he ended there and forgot economic independence after the policy of reconciliation was announced. His effort is still heroic but it is not enough .The political machine called the ANC is appeased and weakened by political independence enjoying political offices and power whilst the black (youth) majority languishes as 21st century corporate slaves. The ANC therefore has done its part but has become an outdated, odd and functionless engine to drive emancipation into achieving full independence of black South Africans ever since the start of the revolution more than 100 years ago. It must be recognized and accepted that a people without full independence remain slaves in word and in practice whether they like it or not. The solution seems to have been created: The Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF). It is not that I support this movement but I write to orient and enlighten the masses that independence is not a day, nor is it a speech, but it is a configuration of structural reforms both soft and radical in all spheres of the national life. The ideology of the EFF is necessary for taking South African to the next level and stage of independence: that is economic freedom. This political machine must therefore replace and take over the process of emancipation into a more advanced stage. The “ANC black horse’ has run the race but cannot continue because an old and frail horse only further entrenches and reverses the gains of the struggle. This does not mean that the ANC was not necessary but it means it is no longer necessary for the new phase of the South Africa revolution. The ANC had to be there to take South Africans to where they are today but now the ANC must decrease and the EFF must increase taking the struggle into full independence to completion. Julius Malema leading the EFF What’s next? Malema and fellow youths must craft an economic takeover policy in agriculture, mining, tourism and business that will result in the achievement of economic independence. Freedom and emancipation must not be negotiated but must be demanded democratically and otherwise. South African youths must not enjoy clothes, cars, luxury and fancy music without economic independence. They must take over the revolution by first overthrowing the ANC as the old tool to achieve the independence. In every race toward emancipation, institutions and political parties (must and) are not immune from criticism, removal and obliteration. Lessons for the future Institutions and political parties are tools to be used in the process of political functions to achieve a desired end but are not immune from disparagement, denunciation and deletion because they get old, outdated, relaxed, rusty and incompetent as the revolutionary wheels turn every single moment. The Economic freedom fighters (EFF) organisation as a tool will be necessary to drive the next breath of the revolution, but the organisation must be restructured in the future when economic independence has been achieved, it must then become the political organisation that no longer fights for freedom but protects the freedom, and advances the wheels of the struggle. In any case South Africans must not hesitate tomorrow to reject, remove and disband the EFF because in this task it is going to get old, rusty and weak; when that happens, a fresh new organisation must be built for the promotion of the revolution and entrenchment of the revolutionary gains. by sammy chiyangwa
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 13:59:50 +0000
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