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| Siya Riwana |
By Siya Riwana
FAWU Eastern Cape 1st Deputy Chairperson & Community Activist
I would like to remind all South Africans not to be misled
by crocodile tears shown by ANC to be in Solidarity with the black American
community, which has been protesting since the death of George Floyd, a black
man killed by a white police man in the United States of America.
The George Floyd issue has our people up in arms over the
killing of a brother by brutal law enforcers of a universally known state that
has not halted black killings since the black man’s arrival to that foreign
land. We are not surprised by the lack of empathy in leadership shown in
dealing with such instances in America. It is only the accumulation of killings
that have existed since the first ship set of slaves that arrived in that
country and perpetuated from Lincoln and Trump. The difference is video
evidence is used by bystanders on witnessing such events and brought to the
forefront to the rest of the world. South Africa has a similar history with
little change in many aspects besides having political mannequins astute with being dummies for show to the rest of the world (as
black leadership). We can never forget the working class black killings in
Marikana. It cannot be correct for us to endorse a Government that has not
dealt with issues such as land, inequality, black poverty, and crimes against
humanity.
I would like also to raise another important part-the
killing of black bodies- one that does not start with being shot and assaulted
by the police, but by the negotiated settlement of the ANC, which bring death
to the black majority everyday through poverty and poor health care. This causes
many black poor people to die from things that can be cured. A poor education
system and lack of personal development offered to the black poor majority
requires nothing short of being exceptional as a black child to amount to
anything more than a middle class administrator. I think it's time people know
that guns rarely kills us. What kills us every day is the legislated misery we
exist in.
South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the
world where the black majority are mostly affected, majority blacks in SA live
below poverty line. Most families live below R15 a day.
Majority of blacks in South Africa lives in squatter camps
and remain shack dwellers outside big cities of South Africa such as Johannesburg,
Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth and other small towns and rural areas.
They become casualties of shack fires by which most of these
families have lost members of their families and is treated like news and
tragedy that has become a norm. People should also understand and accept that they
die because they are poor and they need to work hard and go to best schools in
order to get out of their situation.
Blacks are in this situation of a failed negotiated
political breakthrough where the ANC compromised black lives just to be in
political power of administering the affairs of governance.
The land remained in the hands of the oppressor and the
oppressed remained landless with nothing but their labour to sell in exchange
for slave salaries that are determined by bosses.
Majority of blacks remains lambs of crucifixion till this
day and the ANC is at the centre of ensuring that big corporates and financial
sector remains pleased at the expense of welfare of our people.
Mgcineni Noki and other mine workers had to be slaughtered
in order to show that black lives do not matter as long as the big corporates
are satisfied in looting the mineral resources of the land, these resources
should have been in the hands of the very same workers who are indigenous people
of the land.The land is ours but a compromise was done to perpetuate a
world order of the day that keeps white domination and system of capitalism in
power.
ANC and its alliance recently chose to dismiss 300 000
Members of Numsa in Cosatu and allow 130 000 FAWU members to leave COSATU, just
because these workers were calling for an alternative which could benefit the
majority of working class community. Because these NUMSA and FAWU workers were
speaking to power they had to be crucified and be dealt with and their
leadership to silence their voice. It has been twenty -six years under ANC
government and yet up to date black working class in the trade union and
working environment still bleeds.
ANC must be told about their sell-out status and be reminded
that black lives do not matter to ANC but accumulation and looting of money
from government coffers.
Recruiters from white monopoly capital has co-opted leaders
and because there are no revolutionary cadres in the ANC .
An alternative
solution is needed to rescue the lives of the black working class community.
