Jan-Feb-2009

Editorial Note
Living in a state of terror!

The year 2008 presented us with numerous challenges. It was a year that will be very hard to forget with all the scars it has left us with.

Comrades, the Tinkhundla royal regime under the leadership of King Mswati III unashamedly continues to unleash and visit continuous terror on the people of Swaziland. This is in a desperate effort to hold onto power and delay any progress towards democratizing Swaziland.

We noted:

* The King at his family traditional headquarters (Ludzidzini sibaya) clearly and literally declared war on his people and, in particular, the democratic forces operating in the country.

* He proudly appointed one Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini as his new and trusted Prime Minister. The Prime Minister was given a clear mandate at the gathering to quickly work towards "strangling" ( kukhama) all those calling for the introduction of a constitutional multi-party democracy in the country to replace the archaic and dictatorial Tinkhundla status quo.

The Prime Minister has duly responded to the mandate of his master by:

* Putting into law the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008 0n the 14th November. In the launching, the Prime Minister sternly pronounced that he was banning PUDEMO, SWAYOCO, SSN and Umbane from operating in the country. He mentioned that his government will ensure the organizations completely cease to exist and its members do not set their foot in the country.

* Less than 24 hours later, the states’ security agents were unleashed on the President of PUDEMO, Mario Masuku.

Masulu's house, at Eveni in Mbabane, was raided. He was subsequently detained. The state tried to justify its act and seek public favour by announcing that the President was charged for having been found with electronic devices and literature giving details and instructions on how to make bombs. Subsequently in court on 17 November, the state discarded the charges and preferred a new one, that Musuku had been charged for allegedly uttering statements in support of bomb-blast victims, namely Musa ‘MJ” Dlamini and Jack Govender, during the funeral of MJ. Presently, Masuku is kept at the Matsapa Maximum Prison where visitors are not allowed except for his family.

Comrades must remain calm in the midst of this terror challenge visited by the state on its people. This is a critical stage for the democratic revolution, where the state realizes it is surely going down and in the process becomes more desperate and dangerous in an effort to resist and preserve itself. History tells us that all dictatorships shall come to an end, and the Tinkhundla dictatorship is no exception to this scientific rule!


PEOPLES’ UNITED DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT
(PUDEMO)...
End of Year Statement
Cde Sphasha Dlamini –Secretary General


PUDEMO wishes to extend revolutionary and the warmest greetings to the fellow people of Swaziland and the peace and democracy loving citizens of the world. As we enter the year 2009, we are saying let us endure the pains and sufferings together and travel the last mile to a new and democratic Swaziland. We call upon all our structures within and outside the country to stand up to the task ahead and fulfill the revolutionary strategic objective of PUDEMO.

As we make a cross-over to the New Year, we are aware that tinkhundla has continued to force its misrule, characterised by oppression and exploitation, to the people of our country. We are aware of the fact that tens of thousands of half-naked and desperate children are on the streets and have deliberately been rejected by tinkhundla regime. The people’s movement is also aware of the reality that there are no drugs in hospitals owing to the dilapidating health care system that has been produced by this regime – our people are dying! We are as well cognizant of the incontrovertible fact that there are hundreds of thousands of poverty-stricken citizens who are without such basics as food and clean water, particularly in the remote area. We are further aware of the continuous exploitation of workers and the treating of Swazis as subjects and not citizens in their own land. Also, we do not forget that a majority of Swazis do not own land and that many are still victims of the regime’s senseless land evictions. The only message we can pass to our suffering people is that the Tinkhundla Empire is crumbling and that before you know it, the system will have been destroyed and replaced with a people driven system.

The year 2008 has not been smooth for our mass-based democratic movement. What with the brutal and barbaric assassination of our deputy president DR. Gabriel Thandokuhle Mkhumane who was shot dead at KaNyamazane in the republic of South Africa where he was living as an exile.

As PUDEMO, we still maintain that the senseless killing of this gallant servant of the Swazi people was political and that the truth shall be revealed in future.

There are many cadres who have died in our movement and whose blood shall water the tree of liberation. We pledge ourselves to lift up the spear and continue the noble fight. A majority of our comrades have continuously been threatened and terrorised by state police while some have been forced into exile. Be that as it may, all these have strengthened our glorious movement and have given it more power to soldier on. In fact, today we are stronger than yesterday.

Sadly, we had entered the year 2008 with many police brutality instances and we say one day the people of Swaziland shall be defended. The police declared war as they assaulted UNISWA students who were demanding their right to quality education. Textile workers were also assaulted by state police as they were engaged in a legal strike action. In both the students and the textile workers’ struggles, the police used live bullets to shoot peaceful citizens of the land! We repeat that one day the people shall be defended and we do not intent to threaten anyone when we say that.

The police also attacked members of the Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF), including its leaders, during a border blockade activity that was meant at raising the international awareness on the Swazi struggle for democracy. A group of peaceful

PUDEMO members, including its leaders, were severely beaten and detained by tinkhundla police during a PUDEMO day rally in Manzini in July. Swayoco and PUDEMO members, including the people’s president, were subjected to the same treatment during a march that was organised by our youth league recently. The march had been allowed by the city council of Mbabane and the police but was stopped by the police on the actual day. It was intended to demand from the prime minister the resumption of the treason trial with which many of our members were charged and are out on bail. The continuous assault on political activists by police confirms what PUDEMO has been saying over the years; that the security forces are for the ruling elite and not the ordinary people of Swaziland and that they are used to harass the advocates of democracy in our country. However, more than the hatred of the pain to which we are subjected to on daily basis is our hatred of the conditions to which our people are subjected to throughout this country. We want to liberate all our people and we shall achieve this by all means necessary.

PUDEMO is not taken by surprise on the sudden banning of the people’s vanguard for the second time. Also, we are equally not surprised by the new suppression of terrorism Act and the incarceration of the people’s president Cde Mario Masuku. Such things are bound to happen in a country that is a dictatorship. We take comfort from history since such have happened to almost all liberation movements the world over. On the incarceration of our leader, we want to warn the regime by overemphasizing what we have just said; that we shall do all that is in our power to defend our leaders, organization and the people of our country against everything that threatens the Swaziland Democratic Revolution (SDR). Only time will tell.

The regime also defied warning from progressives and the international community and went on to host the luxurious 40/40 double celebrations and thereby squandering millions of the tax payers’ money. Again here, this confirmed what PUDEMO has been saying over the years; that we are waging a struggle against an autocratic regime that has got a high appetite for leisure. The ordinary Swazi never benefited anything from those so called celebrations.
Of fundamental note is that the regime continues to ignore international conventions on democratic, free and fair elections as it held its circus called national elections even in the year 2008. Swaziland is a signatory to a plethora of international conventions on democratic elections. These are, inter alia, International Convention on Political and Civil Rights, the Mauritius Declaration, the Cotonou Agreement and the Harare Declaration of 1991, where Common Wealth countries agreed that totalitarianism was giving way to democracy and freedom. We call upon respectful signatories to the above stated conventions to put pressure on tinkhundla to democratize as we enter 2009.The Common Wealth expert team encapsulated all when they openly stated their disregard of the credibility of the 2008 Swaziland National Elections. This was their position even in the year 2003 as they reported, “We do not regard the credibility of these national elections as an issue. No elections can be credible when they are for a parliament that does not have power and when political parties remain banned.”

PUDEMO maintains its long standing position that the zillions of problems engulfing Swaziland shall only be solved when a genuine dialogue has been called and a legitimate government is in place. We therefore demand a Constitutional Multiparty Democracy Now.

Essentially, the political and civic organizations of our beloved nation are united and this was evidenced by their coming together into the Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF). The people’s vanguard party hails the labour movement for celebrating 2008’s May Day together for the first time after so many years. As we do that, we reiterate our old principle of ‘One industry one Union , one country one federation’. This barbaric and backward system of Tinkhundla shall only be dismantled by a more united progressive force. The 2008 September 3-4 Mass Stay away was a clear indication that our unity can overcome the brutal power of this cruel dictatorship. We need to redouble our effort in 2009 as we march forward to a democratic Swaziland . PUDEMO urges all the forces under the banner of the united front to seize this opportunity since to relax our effort now will be a great mistake which generations to come will fail to forgive. Let us consolidate and advance.

On the international front, our struggle has intensified and our international allies have practically offered solidarity with the Swazi struggle as led by our glorious movement. We are particularly indebted to our South African allies in the tripartite alliance. They are to us what sunlight is to plants and we say only history shall reward them. We urge the international community to intensify its campaign against the Tinkhundla inhuman regime in the year 2009. We have got no hesitation in saying that the people of Swaziland have got no future under the current political set up.

The People’s United Democratic Movement has one demand as we enter then year 2009;
· Talks about talks that will culminate into a genuine dialogue exercise involving all national stakeholders to discuss a way forward on the politics of our country.

It is our genuine view as PUDEMO that only such an exercise can lead to a people’s constitution and democratic government. The only historic route that can be taken by the ruling class this year is dialogue and not war. We have seen how the latter has failed in other African countries as it only results in bloodshed and unnecessary loss of lives. Our most treasured nation can not afford to take this dangerous route hence the need for dialogue as soon as possible. This is the very position that we took as early as 1992 in our document entitled, “THE PEOPLE’S WAY FORWARD DOCUMENT; TOWARDS A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY THROUGH A NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT.” We want to emphasize that we see genuine dialogue as the only possible remedy for our ailing nation.

OUTSIDE SWAZILAND
We are in solidarity with the suffering people of Zimbabwe and we call upon the SADC and AU to take a decisive action and protect the people of that land from the quagmire they are currently in. Our movement further appeals to the international bodies, in particular the UN to intervene and save the people of Palestine . Nothing can justify the raping of young innocent children and women as well as the mass killing of peaceful civilians.




APOLOGY
We apologise for the delay in issuing the January Issue of Ulibambe Lingashoni. The problem we encountered was the draconian Suppression of Terrorism Act which forced us to move our documents to a comfortable place thus getting them mixed up. We hope comrades will bear with us in future.

AMANDLA!!!!!


DEFINING THE CHALLENGES FACING THE ORGANIZATION AND THE WAY FORWARD
Cde. Victim


Introduction
Never has the organization in its life history been faced with such challenges than now. As the dark clouds continue to gather around the dying tinkhundla system, more and more challenges appear on the horizon and some of these, if left unattended to, may delay the change. As we walk the last mile, a lot of things have developed which have cast some doubts and uncertainty on whether we are still moving in the right direction on not. As we look very closely at these challenges, we do not forget any past history which has influenced the present and given shape to the future. As we travel this last mile, we take recognizance of those whose fighting will power is hesitant. They are not sure whether we are moving towards the right or not. As we move the last mile , we are fully aware of the voices of our people who are impatient with their emancipation from the tinkhundla system. Their concern over the slow pace we are moving at is recognized. As all those challenges come, we do not forget adopted programmes and resolutions of the movement. We are proud to have survived the conundrum where we were being sold to the enemy. We survived the infiltration of the vusela conspiracy window dressing as a constitutional review committee. We refused to be made signatories of a fraudulent exercise aimed at prolonging the enslavement of the entire population.

Having withstood the test of time, we once again aim to survive the hard moments lying ahead. Consistence has been a major tool that has kept us focused in our journey to a new and democratic Swaziland; we have maintained taking decisions collectively. We have debated and engaged each other on any decisions we have made. It is this spirit that has kept the movement and it is this spirit that must be maintained if we are to arrive into the promised land; a land of vibrant debates. Let us collectively allocate an entry point.


The Balance of Forces
In order to be able to craft a proper way forward, one has to be able to read the balance of forces on the ground; for most of the past struggles, there has never been an easy task to do. Failure to properly read the balance has resulted in many struggles being lost. It is during this exercise that people fail to realize their potential to liberate themselves. It is also during this time when people will confuse quality and quantity. Incorrect reading of the balance of forces results in a failure to take….. To some we lost the plot when we refused to be part of the vusela yet that was when we made a right decision. Again, to some we lost the plot when we refused to be part of a fraudulent election exercise yet that was when we added more ground. This is not an easy exercise as maintained earlier on, but one that needs debates as it is sometimes influenced by the zone one in struggling as a geographical one where one must not be on the battle ground.

Coming closer to the organization, the issue of the balance of forces is very essential. First on the issue is where we can say the movement is winning or not. The correct answer which is uncontested is that yes we are fighting a correct war.

The second issue is whether we have the guts and capacity to hold on or not. Again here, the response would be yes we have that capacity. The third issue would be the numerical strength. This is one area where the actual battles takes place. The organization may have people who represent the majority aspirations but countries are not liberated by the majority but rather by the minority.

The balance of forces becomes an important issue because without correctly reading it, you will develop a strong will power for victory. This does not mean to undermine the enemy force. We are aware of the power of the enemy in as much as we are aware of our power. We are also aware of the potential danger that the enemy force pose. We are aware of the enemy’s spirit as well as our own.

To our credit, because we are fighting a correct war, we have the world on our side. PUDEMO started the song of the total liberation of the people of Swaziland; the international community picked it up. With the world on our side we have no reason to panic. If we panic, we will believe the propaganda that the progressive forces are defeated. The introduction of the Suppression of Terrorism Act and the recycling of people in political positions is a clear indication that the liberation movements are winning. Whether they use 1973 Decree or 2008 Terrorism act, none can stop the people from marching to final victory.

The issue of leadership is not only a challenge but a threat to the very existence of the movement. While it is correct to say specific moments and periods need specific leadership, it is logically correct to say the organization will always supply such leadership. Leaders are not born but recruited and trained by the struggle itself. The organization has experienced a different kind of leadership in the past. We have elected full executives but they had finished their terms shortly before their times.

We agree that the present situation allows for different approaches, but the approaches cannot be left on a few selected leaders who can not be easily accessible. In this regard, we do not believe in a leadership that will operate underground. We need a leadership that will stand up to the expectations of the whole world. While we demand this visibility, we acknowledge the dangers of the whole leadership being arrested, but as mentioned before, the struggle will produce others as history has never allowed a vacuum.

While still interrogating the issue of leadership, we take recognizance of the fact and history of the organization. We appreciated comrades who were full time employed elsewhere to lead us. They have risked their jobs and withstood that test of time. We are aware of the risk they face even now; not of going to fail but loosing their source of income. We are not blind of these things but because we entered into this struggle knowing its consequences, it is expected that we pass this test with flying colours. Remember, some of us have never even had that opportunity to venture into fullest happiness of life– having a decent job and a family. We have already lost but we do not say we must all loose. If there are comrades in the leadership who feel they cannot take it any longer, they can give leadership to those who feel they can carry the task.

In conclusion, I will remind comrades that we are children who want democracy. We are a generation that wants to be governed through consensus. We have practiced this even in the harshest of moments in the struggle. We cannot be seen to be breeding a culture where few people are entrusted with the running of the whole institution. We want to practice to elect our own leaders and recall them when we feel like. We do not want a leadership that elects to dissolve or disband itself without the people who elected them.


Visibility
In our last congress where the current leadership was elected, the issue of visibility was discussed at length. It was felt that for the movement to be identified, it must be visible and this is a weapon to beat the enemy. It is this visibility that has attracted more membership to the organization. Visibility comes in different ways; the wearing of T-shirts for the organization, attending of meetings and, most importantly, taking part in the protest marches organized by the movement or other underground structures of the struggle.

Imagine if the movement were to go underground! Who would identify himself/herself with the organization? People would think the movement is dead. The Sibusiso led government would have scored a victory if we were to go underground. The other organizations would embarrass us and call us names yet for 25 years we have remained a symbol of the Swazi resistance. We cannot go underground and bow to the suppression of terrorism act but we must remain above surface and absorb the heat. We must do this openly and in the eyes of the world.

We make this bold stance to remain visible. Some of us cannot be returned to the underground. Our mere presence above surface has been our greatest weapon.

Entry Point
This is the biggest challenge of them all. We must be able to locate where to put the needles. We must be able to locate the right and correct door to get through. If we are not able to do the above, we risk fighting for many years to come. Most struggles of the world have taken too many years because of this challenge. From the Iraq war to the Zimbabwe crisis, the issue is the same; it is the entry point. Good leaders are lost during this period of trying to locate the entry point. Most opportunists join and hijack the struggle during this period.

We take recognizance of the fact that some of our leaders may not be well equipped to identify the entry point; but we get worried when they go out asking it from people who have not been with the movement for sometime. We are not think-tanks and technocrats but the best are those who have been consistent and loyal to the movement. We have had cadres who were there, seen it all and done it all and those are the cadres who have absorbed the enemy to this far.

In determining the entry point, one has to revisit the pillars of the struggle. We have to choose how we implement them so that they become the compass to direct us to which door to open. Rough waters make good captains.

Way Forward
Having defined the challenges facing the movement, there is thereafter a great need to embark on a proper way forward. First of all, comrades must be able to remind themselves about past resolutions and programmes which have put us where we are. We have not arrived at this point accidentally but we know that as we intensify the struggle the enemy would unleash such draconian laws like the Terrorism Act. We are not bothered by this as there is nothing new. To us 1973 emergency laws and 2008 terrorism act are but identical twins of oppression.

As a way forward, we must never allow the enemy to dictate terms to us by putting fear in our minds. We must never allow the enemy to have an upper hand on us. We must do this with all the determination we have, knowing that we have defeated the enemy. As a way forward, we must be able to pull our resources together and unleash a wave that the tinkhundla system can fail to contain. Let us not dissolve the leadership, instead let us make it strong by putting new blood where necessary.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the organization cannot afford to go underground. We are from there, we operated from there and it cannot assist the movement anywhere to go there again. Having defined the challenges, we need to face and live up to expectation. We have people who are looking on us and we cannot let them down. We have ourselves who have toiled for many years who cannot afford to go underground. We have the capacity to walk the last mile. We have men and women among us that can lead. It must be remembered that the theatre of the struggle is here inside the country not outside. We have to absorb the enemy here at home. No one outside the country is better positioned to determine the pace of the struggle. No analyst from the outside can claim to know better than us although outside assistance is permissible.


IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF PALESTINE!!
Cde. Marcus Garvey

The world is watching. The working class of the world can no longer afford to fold their arms waiting for a great God to come from the skies and save the poor souls of innocent children and women from being massacred by one of the most powerful nations of the world, militarily and economically.

For 22 days the Zionists army has mercilessly invaded the Gaza strip using the most sophisticated weapons in their disposal, and the world is expected to ignore such inhuman and barbaric acts of state terrorism. About 1300 people have already lost their lives since the invasion of the Gaza Strip on the 27th December 2008, with over forty percent being women and children.

Palestine has become a site for testing the effectiveness of Israel's powerful arsenal, destroying innocent lives in the process. It has become a norm for the the International bodies such as the UN to ignore such confrontation until a point of no return is reached. But Why? Where is the International Criminal Court?

America’s desire for oil combined with dominating the globe militarily and economically, are at the centre of their aims. The Middle East conflict has no end in sight so long as America’s desires for oil combined with dominating the globe militarily and economically, are at the centre of their aims. The U.S.A. has always feared that popular anger in the Arab countries could erupt and force Arab rulers to challenge its interests, or that revolution could topple pro-Western rulers.

So the U.S. has developed another weapon in its armoury - this is backing Israel, a reliable ally which would act as a ‘watchdog’ in the region. This is why Israel is by far the biggest recipient of US aid, economically and militarily, in the world.” In 1996 Israel received $12 billion, 25% of US’s total foreign aid budget. (A Socialist Worker Pamphlet). It is the U.S.A.’s foremost favoured nation. The largest block of aid arrives in the form of direct arms grant.

Can the UN bring peace?
We have hoped that the UN will bring peace to the Middle East. They have condemned the occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank by the Jewish army; however, the UN can not stop the massacre. The UN is dominated by five countries- the U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China; they are all vying for world dominance. The US is by far the dominant power in the UN, and is ready either to use or ignore that power in order to pursue its interests. The U.S. can act in any which way they deem fit to secure their interests, even if the UN is against their action. They barter and bargain in the Security Council, smaller states are bribed or bullied to go along with them.

“In case bribery is not enough, a reminder of US military power is not far away. The US now has a military presence in 120 of 198 UN member states." (A Socialist worker pamphlet).

Who can stop this massacre?
The working class are the people who suffer most in this unjustified wars. Unity amongst the people of Israel and Palestine is our only hope for peace in the Middle East. It remains to be seen if Barack Obama, the new president of the U.S. will change their foreign policy or it is just the “same drink from a new bottle’.


PUDEMO, SWAYOCO AND THE SSN DEMAND THE RELEASE OF THE PEOPLES
PRESIDENT,UNBANNING OF ALL POLITICAL PARTIES, REPEAL OF THE 1973 DECREE AND THE ANTI TERRORISM BILL OF 2008.

EVERY FRIDAY, HAVE A MINUTE OF SILENCE FOR ALL THE FALLEN HEROES AND ALL THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING FOR THE STRUGGLE.


SOCIALISM………………...AS A PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVE
Cde. Marcus Garvey

The present age of capitalism is one of deep illusion. As we enter the year 2009, the human race is in danger of self-destruction. Unnecessary wars are waged by the capitalist states on the poor countries. Deaths from starvation and diseases are numbered in millions. Across the globe, communities are divided by conflicts and lives of individuals subjected to the most inhuman sufferings by the capitalist class, trying to secure their undemocratic, selfish grip to power. Any hope for a world of unity, democracy and material security has dwindled into a universal feeling of powerlessness in the face of massive problems which appear to be beyond control.

Surely, the important question is why, given the best that humanity can achieve, and why, given the common desire for a better world, do we continue to suffer these failures? Why do we seem unable to bring our relationships and everyday action into accord with our common need for co-operation and material well being?

Production for profit
Capitalism is a system in which means of production are owned or monopolized by a privileged minority. The great mass of people live by selling their labour power for wages and salaries. One thing should be noted about capitalism above all else– it can never be made to run in the interests of the working class. It is based on exploitation of the working class and can only work in the interests of the privileged owning class.

A Decaying Society
The decaying of capitalism’s social basis is apparent in a number of ways, all of which are symptomatic of a sick society:
· The ongoing break-up of community relationships, particularly the development of an ‘everyone-for-themselves' culture’
· The massive explosions of crime and anti-social behavior born of the miseries of the cut-throat market system.
·The massive corruption of capitalism’s politics, evident in the succession of sleaze scandals across the globe
· The revival of religious fundamentalism and the spread of mystical and millenarian sects, based on a loss of confidence in science and human progress.
· Last but not least, the economic crisis engulfing the whole world where rich nations are now forced to bail-out certain privileged companies in the name of saving jobs.

A Truly Human Society
The next stage of society, Socialism, will come as a welcome relief. It will bring harmony to human relations. Far from needing a special sort of behavior from people, socialism will run on patterns of action, thought and feeling that have been the norms throughout most human existence. Human beings will not become any more “good” or “kind” or “helpful” or “gentle”; but the pressures which now prevent them being all of these things at different times will have gone. Shortage of money, fear of unemployment, fear of nuclear war, fear of lawbreakers, fear of law itself, fear of the boss, even fear of the trade union, and so on. All of these pressures arise directly out of the capitalist organization of society. When we finish with capitalism, we shall have removed all these influences upon thoughts and actions of every member of the working class. The pressures which remain- those of social living, of coping with the environment, of wresting with all the problems of production and distribution- these pressures will still be considerable. The difference is that these are practical problems, not economic ones forced upon us by a useless ruling class and their repressive state machine. Real pressures and problems can be seen for what they are. They do not provoke neurotic responses and frustrated violence.

Practical problems are what call human co-operation into action. The land will be ours, the roads and factories and railways and offices will be everybody’s, and so we shall have personal interest in keeping them working, keeping them up to standard and improving them. The whole society will benefit from every constructive act or useful piece of work we do-not just some company’s profit and loss account, some millionaire’s annual dividend.

As the world has been gripped by an economic crisis, giant companies are at the brink of collapse and the capitalist states are being forced to offer financial bail-out to the companies, it is evidently clear that such a situation is approaching a very critical and dangerous waters. Today the capitalist states can bail-out such companies, but the question is for how long?

Looking at the history of mankind, one realizes that human life is evolving. According to A. Nnoli, a political scientist at the university of Nigeria, “society passes from one socio-economic formation to another. According to the level of development of productive forces and the production relation which corresponds to it. The socio-economic formations may be identified as follows, 1)Band; 2) Primitive Communalism; 3) Slave Societies; 4)Feudalism; 5) Capitalism; and 6) Socialism.”

As the capitalist system shows some elements of collapse; an alarming rate of unemployment, retrenchments, wars, deaths, etc, obviously the human nature detects another form of human survival, that is production for human needs not profit.

Is Progress Possible ?
It is we, the working class who make up around 95% of the world’s population, who have the most direct experience of the market economy’s inadequacies. It is therefore hardly surprising that over 60% of the population now believe that the kind of society today’s children will inherent will be worse than their own generation inherited. In the less developed countries progress for the majority has long been a sick joke.

Socialism...as a practical alternative

“ That as the machinery of government, including the armed forces of the nation, exists only to conserve the monopoly by the capitalist class of the wealth taken from the workers, the working class must organize consciously and political for the conquest of the powers of government, national and local, in order that this machinery, including these forces, may be converted from an instrument of oppression into an agent of emancipation and the overthrow of privilege, aristocratic and plutocratic”. (WSM)

“ Socialism is a good idea but it won’t work. You cannot change human nature”. This is the most common and influential of all objections made to socialism. It is argued that most people are inherently greedy and ambitious, so they want more than their fair share of material goods and to dominate.

Socialism can only be established when a great majority of workers understand it. It would be absurd for a minority of conscious socialists to try to take over power and impose the new system on an unwilling majority. Such a tragedy would certainly fail, with armed forces, controlled by the majority backed government, being used to defeat the “rebels”. And even if such a method of ‘revolution’ were successful-if a determined minority should seize political power in an attempt to introduce socialism on behalf of the working class– there would be no prospect of it resulting in a socialist society.

A look at various theories of “minority led socialism”, i.e. Stalinism, etc confirms that in practice these are ideologies that brings a policy of State Capitalism. ( To be continued on next issue)



Is greediness, selfishness and jealousness are natural to mankind?

Read the next issue of Ulibambe Lingashoni to find out.