On the killing of shopsteward Petros Msiza and the mass dismissal of 1054 Samwu strikers by the ANC-SACP regime

 Thursday 3 March 2011 marks a turning point in the struggle of the working class in South Africa. On this day one of the strike leaders, Petros Msiza, was killed after having been shot at close range by the hated police. The municipal workers are on strike after unilateral change of conditions of employment by the ANC-SACP regime in one of the key Gauteng municipalities.

 In this one shot is summarised the entire situation of the working class. The police claim they were defending private property that was ‘threatened’ by the strikers. The ‘private’ property of the capitalists have been gained through stealing, exploitation of the working class, over many years, including under the hated apartheid (slave capitalist) regime. When we consider that the means of production, also private property, the mines, the capitalist farms, the large factories, the banks, the chain stores, are controlled by imperialism, and indeed, primarily US imperialism, the police are protecting the super-profits of imperialism against the working class. The imperialists make super profits while the working class are kept in starvation and subjection through the hated police of the ANC-SACP regime. This is in line with how Engels described the state as being ‘bodies of armed men’ of the ruling class, instruments of violence against the working class. The myth of a ‘developmental state’ as paraded by the SACP, is shattered. Starkly exposed in the true role of the ANC-SACP regime, namely that it is the lackey of imperialism.

 Is it a coincidence that in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Bahrain, the client regimes of imperialism have killed protestors, have used live ammunition to mow down those who threaten ‘private’ property? Is it a coincidence that the first target of the masses has been to destroy the police stations?

The overnight creation of the military police who come armed with live ammunition to demonstrations, who have been trained by the FBI, is part of a world trend by imperialism, of preparation for the fascist suppression of the working class. Imperialism realize that their client regimes are increasingly incapable of keeping the masses in check and that they have to turn to fascist methods to brutally suppress the working class. It is not for nothing that one of the central themes of the recent IBSA meeting was to encourage the strengthening of the police apparatus and of ‘anti-terrorist’ legislation. These client regimes are carrying out the wishes of their imperialist masters.

Thus we can understand why one of the central themes of the ANC election manifesto for the local government elections is bringing more police into the community and more police stations. These measures are not to protect the masses but to protect the ‘private’ property of imperialism.

The shooting of strikers, of communities without adequate housing, the brutal suppression of the unarmed soldiers protest, the shooting of the eyes out of 3 protestors in Hangberg, are all part of the same world trend of imperialism relying more on the fascist jackboot. The call for a judicial enquiry by the capitalist state into the killing of Cde Msiza by one of its key organs, will not lead to justice. How many thousands have been killed during 1985-1993 by the state and fascist gangs sponsored by Anglo American (and other imperialists), but the killers still walk free? [Thousands of the killers are used by imperialism as a private army in Iraq to suppress the masses].

 It is time for the working class to revive industrial and community locals of worker representatives and alongside this to build workers self-defence committees. We support the call by Samwu workers for a review of support of the ANC-SACP in the coming municipal elections. We go one step further: We call for a boycott of the coming elections, ie a boycott of all the parties participating in these elections, be they ANC, DA, or anybody else. Let us mobilise from Cape to Cairo against all imperialist client regimes! Let us join hands with the working class in the imperialist centres against their own imperialist regimes!

The sudden postponement of the Cosatu Central Committee to after the municipal elections on 18 May 2011 is a manoeuvre by the ANC-SACP leaders to sideline the proposal of the Samwu NEC to raise the question of the support for the ANC.

We call for an urgent Special Congress of Cosatu to review the question of support for the ANC-SACP.

Down with the imperialist ‘Growth Path’!

Down with the murderous police!

Forward to the unconditional reinstatement of all 1054 dismissed strikers and all strikers dismissed by imperialism over the years.

Forward to a workers tribunal to judge the killers of cde Petros Msiza!

Forward to a workers’ summit (with delegates from the employed and unemployed) to centralise our struggles against the imperialist onslaught

Forward to a general strike against police brutality, high food, housing, electricity and transport prices!

Forward to a revolutionary working class party! Forward to the refounding of the Fourth International! Forward to Socialism!