Nothing to celebrate today
WORKERS all over the world will be celebrating May Day, but the fundamental question is whether the workers have something to celebrate. Let us be reminded of the words of Karl Marx: "People cannot be liberated as long as they are unable to obtain food and drink, housing and clothing in adequate quality and quantity".
It is impossible to deny that the world has seen the most severe crisis of the global capitalist system and there is no end in sight. More than anything else, what makes the current systemic and structural global crisis of capitalism more dangerous and frightening than in the past is the total intellectual, ideological, political and moral bankruptcy of the world capitalist leaders and their capitalist theorists.
They have no answer to what increasingly appears to be the world's relentless progression towards mass poverty, worldwide unemployment, growing extreme global inequalities within and between nations of the world, vicious and extremely violent civil and international wars, global warming and environmental destruction – all pointing to the eventual destruction of our Earth and all life on it.
There is no alternative to discarding the theories and practices of capitalism, if we must save the Earth and its living systems. No amount of cosmetic reforms either in the centre of the global capitalist system nor anywhere in its periphery can hide the most obvious fact today: at a time when humanity has the most profound knowledge and technology, the world capitalist system of private greed risks all our lives and the Earth we live on.
Today, unemployment has in fact increased beyond the 2004 levels. Today self-employment has dwindled and, more dangerously, black communities are reeling from violent crimes and daily violent protests!
Marikana sums it all: the bulk of the population remains poorly educated, unskilled, living in abject poverty and in a very uncaring society. Today we are being conditioned to accept that every community protest will lead to deaths of some protestors!
Again, the Marikana massacre speaks volumes about where we are. It is an open secret that the system of local government has collapsed, with very few municipalities having clean audits.
So-called service delivery protests are the order of the day everywhere in the country.
While there have been some improvements, the quality, levels and efficiencies in the health system, especially the public health system, are pathetic. TB cases have actually increased.
We must honestly ask ourselves: has the post-1994 state been no more than a political shell for capitalist accumulation and class exploitation in South Africa? The choice, for us the working class and the rural poor, is a simple one: it's either we surrender, starve and continue to die miserable deaths, or we continue to resist, fight and defeat the dark forces of capitalism.
Gift Siphiwo Ngqondi, ANC and Samwu member ( Nelson Mandela Bay region)
