CWU Statement on the Centennial Celebration of the ANC

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) would like to take this opportunity to convey its best wishes to the African National Congress (ANC) for reaching hundred centennial celebrations and poised to soldier on until the freedoms that are stated in all the lines of the Freedom Charter have been attained.

The leading political formation of our revolutionary National Liberation Movement and alliance as made up together with our federation, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the true vanguard of the working class, the South African Communist Party (SACP), with historic and strong relations to the South African National Civics Organisation (SANCO), a component of the Mass Democratic Movement, the ANC is indeed not the leader of its members only.

Since the attainment of the very important milestone of the 1994 democratic breakthrough, which marked the defeat of the colonial apartheid regime whose legacy in our frank assessment the ANC remains determined to dismantle, whatever the challenges, and since the first ever democratic elections in our land South Africa, the ANC has been the leader of our government as based on the clarion call by the Freedom Charter “that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people”. This confirms the trust that our people have in the ANC, which is indeed the leader of our society.

In many ways the ANC does not belong to the people of South Africa only. Indeed many in our continent and the world have looked and are looking up to the ANC. The ANC has adopted an invaluable role in the African revolution and world affairs, to ensure, in line with the Freedom Charter that “The right of all peoples of Africa to independence and self-government” is recognised, and that world peace is achieved and maintained.

Our best wishes as we mark the centennial celebrations of the ANC are thus also directed to our entire national liberation movement, alliance and its individual partners, the Mass Democratic Movement and its individual formations, all the people of South Africa, her fallen heroes and heroines in the struggles for national liberation and socialism, the peoples of Africa and the world as a whole.

Over and above the milestones of the 1994 democratic breakthrough, transition to the present democratic dispensation in which democracy must be advanced and deepened to the highest quality, we salute the ANC and the revolutionary alliance for guaranteeing and expanding human rights; for the advancements in eliminating national oppression, racism and sexism; for progress in education, health, ensuring shelter for millions, clean water and sanitation, electrification, public infrastructure, and so on, while we recognise that, as the ANC says, “Working together we can do more”.

As we all mark the centennial celebration of the ANC the world is in interacting crises, inherent of a system, of capitalism. And consequent from this system of anarchy, the peoples of our country and the world in varying degrees are facing high levels of inequality within and between countries, unemployment, poverty and disease, HIV/AIDS included. In our country these are also based on the legacy of apartheid, and too, like in many other countries of the global South, also based on the dominance of imperialism and the legacy of colonialism, which, most often than not is being continued as neo-colonialism.

For millions around the world who are employed, wage income is falling or stagnating, hard won gains and the quality of jobs are being eroded. As capitalists and their ideologues, neo-liberals and so on, are attacking permanent employment, more and more people find themselves coerced or degraded in highly insecure, perpetual temporary, casualised, atypical, precarious employment including the all modern forms of slavery, labour brokers.

Environmental degradation is intensifying and both humankind and nature are facing an inevitable destruction.

We look forward to the ANC and the revolutionary alliance, working together with the masses of our people, to lead us successfully in navigating these challenges, among others.

As for us we are convinced the system of capitalism, the main cause actually, is incapable of resolving these challenges.

Our union – CWU, pledges that its members shall be present at all ANC centennial celebrations, starting with Mangaung on the weekend of 6-8 January 2012, will continue to be encouraged to join the ANC and take active involvement in its life.

Happy centenary ANC happy!

For more information contact:

Matankana Mothapo
Spokesperson
Mobile: 082 7590 900

For more about the Communication Workers Union, refer to www.cwu.org.za.

To view other NGO press releases, refer to: www.ngopulse.org/group/home-page/pressreleases.