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| Mandela flourishes a revolutionary’s fist |
In particular do not expect many in the media to ask whether and to what extent black South Africans really achieved the goals and won the liberation, economic as well as political, that Mandela’s African National Congress (ANC) set out to accomplish at the start of their journey. The death of the leader of the ANC’s revolution is surely the appropriate moment to assess the extent to which they failed or succeeded in this mission.
To compensate for that, here are two aids to the process of judging just what the ANC revolution has really meant for South Africa.
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| A revolutionary tamed? Mandela with Prince Charles and The Spice Girls |
I remember attending a Sinn Fein rally at the Ulster Hall not long after his appointment and it was clear from his performance that evening that his role was to assure the Provo grassroots that no sell out was on its way and that isolating IRA weapons in monitored dumps was essentially meaningless. How could it be otherwise? Cyril Ramaphosa was himself a revolutionary and would never collaborate in such an enterprise!
In a critical sense Cyril Ramaphosa represents the failure of the ANC revolution to liberate the black masses from the real system of apartheid, that which was and still is based upon their economic exploitation. The truth about the ANC’s revolution is that it ended in a sordid bargain with the white rulers: South African blacks would get the right to vote and its leaders propelled into power but the ANC would leave the white economic establishment and its sources of wealth untouched.
The result is a country in which the whites still enjoy enormous privilege and wealth while the blacks, although able to vote, still live in shanty towns.
To be sure some black South Africans have risen to wealth and privilege thanks to the ANC and Mandela’s efforts. And Cyril Ramaphosa is their symbolic leader. Once a leader of the National Union of Mineworkers, Ramaphosa is now a successful businessman with a finger in half a dozen corporate pies. Forbes estimated his wealth at $700 million. Read his bio, it is hugely revealing.
Last August, South African police opened fire on striking platinum miners protesting for better conditions at the Marikana mine, killing forty-four of them. Most were shot in the back and the massacre was deemed the largest loss of life at the hands of security forces since the Sharpeville massacre of 1960. The day before the killings, Cyril Ramaphosa had called for action against the miners, accusing them of ‘a dastardly crime’. The next day the police obliged.
The second is a memorable film made by John Pilger about the basis of the deal to end white rule. Titled ‘Apartheid Did Not Die’, Pilger’s film was made in 1998 and he charts the the ANC’s journey to its historic compromise with white South Africa.Although made nearly fifteen years ago, it is still relevant.
The deal that ended apartheid can be seen as the West’s quintessential template for ending all such struggles: the former revolutionaries obtain political power for themselves while agreeing to leave the economic and, if appropriate, the political system largely untouched. It is arguable that in this context Sinn Fein’s infatuation with the ANC during the peace process was hardly a coincidence.
John Pilger: Apartheid Did Not Die
The most over estimated man in recent times imo.He left the country in some state if thats freedom he can keep it.Del.boy and Rodney had him worked out.
ReplyDeleteReading this piece was really uncanny, I was saying the same thing (almost verbatim) to a friend the other day. Though, I didn't know Cyril Ramaphosa had so much dosh, the greedy bastard!
ReplyDeleteMandela seemed to think his victory over apartheid could be measured by the fact, that Blacks were now in government, it didn't seem to matter what they did in government just the fact they were there.
ReplyDeleteIn many ways there are mirror images of Sinn Feins behaviour here.
Political power and representatives within that power appear to be the end goal. It doesn't matter if rights abuse continues as long as they can point to some former Republican and say, look what we have achieved.
When I hear people say sinn fein model themselves on the anc I get worried. the ANC model in a simplistic fashion seems to be to incorporate the elite of the anc into the existing power structure and to hell with the masses the truth and reconciliation process is all good and well in theory but pragmatically it allows people to evade justice.
ReplyDeleteA fucked up country, the slums are still in existence,aids is rife, as is cronyism,the elite are still the elite with a few blacks now thrown in,like quisling $inn £eind the anc are a shining example of how right Connolly was in his whoop it up for liberty speech,ie., what the fuck is the point in bringing further suffering on your people when the end result is nothing more than a change of master irrespective of colour,Mandela died in comfort and well attended medically something millions of his countrymen will not.fuck him..
ReplyDeleteGuys, you seem to be expecting too much from any society. Overthrowing the elite does not bring Liberty, Equality, Fraternity - it brings a new elite. If the old elite were much worse than the new one, then the struggle may have been worth it. But I doubt if ever there will be a truly selfless elite. Now and then we may get a big improvement, but it will be an exception and hard to maintain. A new generation will bring new abuses.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the ANC have brought new freedom to the non-whites of SA, and for that we/they can be grateful. But they have brought widespread criminality too, and a real chance of descent into racial/ideological slaughter.
Mandela pointed the way forward to peace and reconciliation. For that he is to praised. The ANC on the other hand is living it up as the poor suffer - typical elitism.
Had SF won the war here, I've no doubt that they would be the corrupt elite of today. Thankfully, they did not win. Thankfully, the Unionists had their power broken too. Between them, the balance of power may restrain their tendency to total corruption.
That's what I call God's sovereignty in providence!
"The deal that ended apartheid can be seen as the West’s quintessential template for ending all such struggles: the former revolutionaries obtain political power for themselves while agreeing to leave the economic and, if appropriate, the political system largely untouched". To me, that statement/quote says it all. I watched a very small part of a programme last night called: "Nelson Mandela: Lying in State" (presented by David Dimbleby, of course) and one of the first shots at the start of it, was of a huge billboard with Mandela's face on it with the legend "Vote For Jobs Peace And Freedom" ANC X. Remind anyone of anything? The blacks that are poor in SA didn't get any of the above three promises, they got fuck all and are still living in shitholes!
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