Not only is the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa cutting ties with the ruling ANC, it is also cutting its donations to the South African Communist Party. Until now the NUMSA has donated money to both the ANC and the SACP. This is now finished, the trade union for metalworkers now calls the communist party a ''ideological bankrupt party''. Finally after 19 years of betrayal, the largest trade union in South Africa understands this. Because the SACP has indeed been ideological bankrupt since the collapse of the USSR and stalinism. The communist parties of China and Vietnam were the ones who told Nelson Mandela to follow a capitalist road in 1994, the SACP agreed with them!
NUMSA general secretary Irvin Jim has called for the formation of a new socialist party for working class. Such a party is already created by mineworkers and revolutionary socialists. The Workers and Socialist Party was born out of the struggles of the mineworkers and bases itself on the working class; WASP stands for the nationalisation of the mines, the banks, the commercial farms, the factories and other big business on the basis of workers control as part of the struggle for a socialist society. NUMSA and the WASP can became a powerful weapon against the rotten ANC government and its capitalist allies.
With the NUMSA opposing the ANC it is very likely that the Congress of South African Trade Unions will collapse. Because there are still some trade unions who remain loyal to the capitalist ANC and its bankrupt SACP. For years we have seen conflicts between the pro-workers trade unionists and the pro-ANC trade unionists. The right-wing of South Africa has allied itself with the ANC leaders, against those who have criticized the capitalist road of Nelson Mandela since 1994.
Now the first steps are made. The working class of South Africa is on the move and the ANC could face a huge defeat in 2014. They might look at 50% of less during the elections. Until now the ANC has won always more then 60% of the votes. This could change in 2014 if the NUMSA and the WASP can unite for socialism and workers rule. A victory for the WASP in the coming elections will send a shock wave across South Africa and the world. It will show that the ANC is no longer almighty and that socialist opposition is possible!
We revolutionary socialists welcome this move of the NUMSA, because trade unions must support political parties that support the working class. The ANC and SACP have betrayed the South African workers since 1994 when they choose capitalism over socialism. Let the massage of the NUMSA be a wake up call to all trade unions. Because too many are still allied with old national liberation parties or social democratic ones. Both the national liberation parties in Africa as the social democrats in Europe have betrayed the working class. They supported capitalism while in power, betraying the millions of workers who vote for them every time there are elections!
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa
stands now in opposition to the ANC and the SACP!
