The theme of the recent Chris Hani memorial tour of three leading South African labour leaders was "Labour and Women in the New South Africa". Charles Nqakula, general secretary of the South African Communist Party and ANC national executive committee member; Thenjiwe Mthintso, MP and ANC women's caucus member; and John Gomomo, president of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, spoke in depth about the Reconstruction and Development Program (RDP) and the role of women in the process of building a new South Africa. Reprinted below are some of their comments.
"The RDP Council, first is national, but its work goes down the line to communities. These are extraparliamentary forces that inform government of needs. The implementation is not only a task through government structures, it is a task for all our people. When we talk about a people-driven process, we mean exactly that, people get involved in all stages of the RDP", explained a quietly spoken Charles Nqakula.
"Workers need to participate in the decision-making processes on the factory floor. And these workers need to undergo a thorough program of training and skills development. This is part and parcel of coping with the high levels of unemployment in our country."
A conservative estimate puts South Africa's unemployed at more than 7 million people. "You can, therefore, imagine what it means in terms of ability to get jobs.
"We aim to create employment for everybody who calls South Africa home. We are creating in South Africa in the process of transformation a situation where those who love South Africa will find a position as part and parcel of the process towards change.
"Of course the Government of National Unity [GNU] has not come about because there is no work in South Africa", notes Nqakula. "It is a relatively rich country, but it was squandered by the apartheid regime, which enabled people to be easily divided along racial lines. We plan to redirect the resources that are available in South Africa."
Nqakula repeatedly talked about redistribution of wealth. "Our government has stated that all resources of the country, particularly minerals, belong to people of country, particularly indigenous people, but we do not exclude other people when we talk about belonging to South Africa.
"There is a determination to take up capital when they talk about labour productivity. Because we argue that labour productivity goes hand in hand with capital productivity.
"First a raise in wages, and secondly workers participate in decision-making processes on the factory floor. And thirdly that workers undergo a thorough program of training and skills development, then productivity will rise."
"We are open to investment", said John Gomomo. "But there must be minimum labour standards before we shall sign agreements with multinationals."
The delegation all agreed that co-operation within the ANC alliance does not mean they will be caught up in a South African version of Australia's Accord. "Although orientating in the same direction, of the same struggle ... the fight over tactics will continue." However, Nqakula stressed several times that the "ANC is not going to be fragmented ... but we will not hesitate to criticise at the right time".
Thenjiwe Mthintso, who was arrested and terribly tortured by the apartheid regime, commented: "Yes, we are all committed to the program of RDP by the ANC, but this commitment has a meaning for all sorts of different people and formations.
"The RDP has meaning for me because I am from the working class, from the ANC and from the Communist Party. It brings about democracy, it says that houses must be given to people, and people must have health and education, and their needs, their fundamental needs must be met ... As a socialist I see possibilities of attempting that, especially for the working class.
"But for the bourgeoisie the RDP has different meaning. They say to increase productivity, open trade, and do all things to ensure development of economy; that means for them profit."
The struggle is to ensure that the RDP remains a "people-driven" process. The overall goal is "empowerment". Mthintso says this means not imposing solutions but responding to what the local people regard as their priorities and also ensuring that the process does not create dependency but leaves behind it a community with added skills.
South Africa's first democratic elections have not resolved any of the contradictions that exist between employers and workers. On the contrary, Mthintso thinks conditions have possibly worsened, and as a result, "There's [been] a wave of strikes across South Africa in the past month ... led by COSATU, in automotive factories, and Pick 'n' Pay. Workers are demanding changes in their status and implementation of the RDP on the factory floor."
A public debate over the "gravy train" is also gaining momentum, and is supported by the SACP. "People are demanding a reduction in parliamentary salaries, left over from the previous administration", according to Mthintso.
The SACP has some members of parliament. "This is to ensure the rights of workers won't be trampled, and to ensure South Africa
moves in a democratic direction", Nqakula assured his audiences.
"There will be a time in South Africa when socialist forces will take the upper hand and begin the socialist transformation of the country. Many people are taking part in the socialist project. The party itself has well over 60,000 members, it could be more, more branches are starting all the time. This is extraordinary, [and] built over a short number of years.
"There is a belief in South Africa that socialism is the future. This is the slogan of Chris Hani. Just before he died he added something more, which is the slogan of socialist forces now: 'Socialism is the future — build it now'."
A conference has been planned, jointly sponsored by the SACP and COSATU, for November 4 to discuss the way forward for the left.
Mthintso pointed out that women still face obstacles to full involvement in the political process. "Women were not coming to meetings, and it took a long time to find out why ... these women spent hours fetching water each day, and do not have any time left." Lack of child-care facilities was another problem she highlighted.
Mthintso argued that it must be made clear that national liberation and women's liberation were not the same and women must continue to fight for their rights. Although women are well represented in parliament, when Nelson Mandela appointed his cabinet, there were only two women chosen out of 27 ministers. This prompted a noisy rally by women outside the president's house. As a result, three women were appointed deputy ministers.
This is at once a sign of both the responsiveness of the ANC and the need for reform to continue to be mass driven, it was pointed out.