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Wednesday May 04, 2005 19:11 by ? - ZACF
South African anarchist perspective on fighting privatisation Tens of thousands of working and poor people facing evictions, disconnections and attachments of property. This situation of misery is directly linked to the process of privatisation. Privatisation is the process of turning government services and government companies into profit-making activities. PRIVATISATION VERSUS PEOPLE
This means a few simple things:
PRIVATISATION = PROFITS THROUGH POVERTY
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP IS NOT AN ALTERNATIVE The point is simple. When we fight privatisation, we do NOT think that government ownership of these companies and services is a solution. On the contrary, there is NO difference anymore whatsoever between government-owned companies and privately-owned companies. Both are profit-driven, anti-worker and anti-union in nature. This means our struggle is a struggle against BOTH big business AND the government.
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP IS NOT SOCIALISM Therefore we are not against privatisation because we love the government and fear it is losing power because of privatisation. We hate the government, to be honest. The real reason we hate privatisation is because it hurts the working class. And that is more than enough reason.
WHY IS PRIVATISATION HAPPENING? Big business is trying to make the working class pay for the crisis through a set of neoliberal policies such as privatisation and casualisation. In other words, anti-working class policies such as privatisation exist to drive down the wages and living conditions of the working class in order to restore the profits of big business. This means that these policies are NOT caused by a few rotten politicians, or ignorant managers: instead these policies are the evil heart-and-soul of modern day capitalism. Therefore, our fight against privatisation is a fight against CAPITALISM itself, a fight against the profit-making system of low-wage jobs, expensive goods and services, undemocratic workplaces, war and racism.
THE FRAUD OF ELECTIONS Clearly, the government does not serve the people. It serves big business and the rich. This is shown by the fact that every government in the world is implementing neo-liberal policies, and in no case with a mandate from the working class. We should not participate in this rotten system, this political Mafia. The bosses and the politicians are in it together, the rich ganging up on the poor.
WORKING CLASS MUST RULE Is this possible? Yes, history shows examples of working class people taking control and running the world democratically, whether the Paris Commune, the Spanish Revolution, Hungary 1956, or "peoples power" in 1980s South Africa. The working class should own the means of production for our own benefit.
OUR AIMS
Long live the working class.
OUR DEMANDS CAN'T PAY - WON'T PAY Brought to you by BIKISHA MEDIA COLLECTIVE and the RED AND BLACK FORUM As revolutionary anarchists, we believe in a revolution by the working class that will overthrow the bosses and their governments, and create a society run and controlled by those who actually produce the wealth of the world. We believe that it is possible to live without government and to put in its place councils and assemblies where the "ordinary people" can decide what happens to this wealth. We believe in the equality of all and that maximum solidarity is needed between workers and other oppressed groups if we are to defeat those who live off our sweat.
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Woman in the Robertson Winery strike Dec 16 0 comments In what will no doubt become known as a historic strike, women workers at Robertson Winery have played a key role, both because they form the majority of the striking workers but also as leaders of the strike. more >>Statement by the Anti-Government-in-Exile of Wits University Sep 08 Anti-Government-in-Exile of Wits University 0 comments Beginning on Sunday 28 August, Wits students have been littering parts of campus in solidarity with the cleaners’ strike. Cleaners throughout South Africa are demanding a living wage of R4 200 per month: this compares with less than R2 000 paid to cleaners at Wits, who are employed by outsourcing companies such as Supercare. The strike has been undermined, at Wits and elsewhere, by the presence of scab labour; Wits management and the outsourcing companies are striving for “business as usual”. This undermines the entire purpose of the strike, which is to compel exploiter-managers to meet workers’ demands by withdrawing their labour, by preventing the job from getting done – by making sure the campus is not clean. Support S. African public sector strike Jun 20 0 comments A Melbourne Anarchist Commounist Group Statement in support of South African public sector strike OAE – Greece supports the strikers in S.Africa Jun 13 Anarkismo 0 comments The Federation of Anarchists of Greece (OAE) is calling for a further action in terms of unity and organisation. ZACF Statement of Support for Public Sector Strike Jun 13 Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Federation 7 comments The Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Federation (southern Africa) supports the public sector strikers, not just in their demand for a wage increase of 12%, which has now been reduced to 10%, but also in their struggle to improve the standard of all public sector services. Anti-Privatisation Forum May Day Rally May 01 Anti-Privatisation Forum (APF) 0 comments The APF will be hosting a May Day Workers Rally in the community of Residensia (Sebokeng – Vaal Triangle) at Tshepo Themba School at 10h00 tomorrow in support of all the working class struggles in the country. more >> |