"As young communists, we have a choice of being made out of steel to withstand all petty-politics of character assassinations and ridicule; or made out of plastic that melts in the flame of one or two matchsticks. We have to make choices in the interest of the working class even it means our choices will come at huge personal cost. After all, we will not be the first to pay high personal price due to the choices we make in the context of our collective struggles for the self-emancipation of the working class. In the context of the collective struggle against Apartheid, Solomon Mahlangu had to choose between death or freedom. Chris Hani had to choose between silence and speaking out against the poor performance of the defunct ANC in exile. Despite the stature of OR Tambo, Chris Hani stood up in a principled manner to criticize the ANC leadership for its lack of seriousness in continuing with the struggle against Apartheid. We should be inspired by our late revolutionary leaders such as Lawrence Phokanoka who died while living amongst the working class and poor peasants in rural Sekhukhune land, and never gave up learning from and educating the working class wherever he was. We should be inspired and learn from our revolutionary stalwarts who are still living with us today. Our long-life YCL honorary member, comrade Eric Stalin Mtshali was amongst a generation of communists who insisted on the political independence of the Party at all material times and spaces: whether in exile, MK camps, and bourgeoisie institutions such as parliament. George Mashamba, one of our stalwarts had the courage to challenge a bourgeoisie-oriented interpretation of the Freedom Charter advocated by one of our icons, Nelson Mandela when they were together in the Robben Island prison[1]. Why should we be afraid of our peacetime heroes and heroines? " David Masondo
Posted on: Wed, 03 Jul 2013 08:32:16 +0000
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