[WSMDiscuss] Fwd: Abahlali Youth League to Hold a Political Education Discussion Tomorrow, June 16 (Abahlali baseMjondolo )

Tue Jun 15 20:16:48 CEST 2021

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Dwellers in movement…, Youth in movement…, Movements in movement…, Justice in movement…, Resistance in movement…, South Africa in movement…, History in movement…

[Yet another powerful and moving statement from Abahlali baseMjondolo… :

It is important that everyone understands that we are not poor because of personal failure. We were impoverished by the system of racial capitalism, a system that continues to enrich elites, now black and white, at the expense of the poor and the working class. 

We can longer celebrate the fake freedom that the ANC makes us believe it has brought to us. We honour those who fought against the evils of apartheid. However, we note that it was the ordinary people of this country that defeated apartheid in the streets and communities, in the mines and on the factory floors. We continue to say that their blood which is supposed to nourish freedom today, has been scorned by those who claim that they represent their legacy. Tomorrow these hypocrites will be reminding us of the youth of June 16th as if they are carrying forward their struggles. In fact, these hypocrites cynically misuse the struggles of the past to justify their thieving from the people, their repression and their selling out to capitalism.

[It’s interesting also – for me, as someone from India, and with a little knowledge of history – to note that their meeting is taking place at the ‘Surat Hindoo and Association Hall’ in, I guess, Durban.  ‘Surat’ is the name of a city in western India, in the state of Gujarat, a part of the country from where significant numbers of Indians migrated to different parts of Africa and settled there – east and south, in particular, I think; and both Muslims and Hindus.  (Including M K Gandhi.)   And since this suggested to me that the Hall perhaps has a long history in the politics of the country, and that many, many political discussions have probably taken place within its walls, I decided to look it up – and it does indeed have a long history; see https://amandladurban.org.za/surat-hindu-association-bertha-mkhize-street/ <https://amandladurban.org.za/surat-hindu-association-bertha-mkhize-street/> :

Abahlali Youth League to Hold a Political Education Discussion Tomorrow, June 16

Abahlali baseMjondolo

In solidarity,

            JS

fwd

> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: "Abahlali Press" (via abahlali Mailing List) <abahlali at lists.riseup.net>
> Subject: [Abahlali] Abahlali Youth League to Hold a Political Education Discussion Tomorrow
> Date: June 15, 2021 at 12:32:46 PM EDT
> To: abahlali at lists.riseup.net
> Reply-To: abmpress at gmail.com

15 June
Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA Press Statement

Abahlali Youth League to Hold a Political Education Discussion Tomorrow

The Abahlali baseMjondolo Youth League will hold a Political Education and Discussion at the Surat Hindoo and Association Hall in Prince Edward Street on June 16th, youth day.

June 16th is known as the day where young people in this country laid down their lives in the struggle for this country to be free. However, the freedom that they fought for is not realised by most young people.

Our country’s unemployment rate continues to increase, and a large percentage comes from the youth of this country. The unemployment rate for young people is 74.7%. 

Many of those who live in shack settlements have no hope and have given up seeking work. Some have turned to alcohol abuse or heroin (known as whoonga or nyaope) as a way to comfort themselves. When you walk in a shack settlement you will see that there is a large number of unemployed youth walking around aimlessly. This is not because our young people are lazy, it is because their government has failed them.

We are in a state of hopelessness. It is only when we as young people in this country stand up and do things ourselves that we will see change. The ANC led government has not only failed young people today, it has failed those who took to the streets in 1976 to ensure that the country is free. The ANC promised freedom but today youth unemployment is at the worst level in history, and many people say that is the worst in the world.

Our country is in turmoil because it is led by directionless leaders who are not even able to put their own house in order. Today the ruling party is bankrupt and is unable to pay its own workers. How do we expect as young people that such leaders can lead us out of the doldrums of the economy? It is clear that leaders who steal from the poor during a pandemic cannot be trusted and are a serious threat to society.

The discussions tomorrow will include how we as the poor young people from shack settlements can organise to build the democratic power of the impoverished from below. This is the most urgent task that confronts our generation. 

It is important that everyone understands that we are not poor because of personal failure. We were impoverished by the system of racial capitalism, a system that continues to enrich elites, now black and white, at the expense of the poor and the working class. 

We can longer celebrate the fake freedom that the ANC makes us believe it has brought to us. We honour those who fought against the evils of apartheid. However, we note that it was the ordinary people of this country that defeated apartheid in the streets and communities, in the mines and on the factory floors. We continue to say that their blood which is supposed to nourish freedom today, has been scorned by those who claim that they represent their legacy. Tomorrow these hypocrites will be reminding us of the youth of June 16th as if they are carrying forward their struggles. In fact, these hypocrites cynically misuse the struggles of the past to justify their thieving from the people, their repression and their selling out to capitalism.

The ANC are destroying this country. Grassroot organizing is the only way we can revive this country. We believe that we are the solution to the economic and political trouble that this country is facing.

As the great revolutionary philosopher Frantz Fanon said: “Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfil it, or betray it.”

Contacts:

Mfanufikile Sindani - 071 552 2010
Tercia Majola - 067 878 9475

-- 
Land & Dignity!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abahlali baseMjondolo http://www.abahlali.org <http://www.abahlali.org/>

AbM Facebook Group:http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=19659923423 <http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=19659923423>

http://www.abahlali.org <http://www.abahlali.org/>
https://www.facebook.com/abahlalibasemjondolo <https://www.facebook.com/abahlalibasemjondolo>

Land, Housing, Dignity!
Umhlaba Izindlu neSithunzi!

____________________________

Jai Sen

Independent researcher, editor; Senior Fellow at the School of International Development and Globalisation Studies at the University of Ottawa

jai.sen at cacim.net <mailto:jai.sen at cacim.net> &  <mailto:jsen at uottawa.ca>jsen at uottawa.ca <mailto:jsen at uottawa.ca>
Now based in Ottawa, Canada, on unsurrendered Anishinaabe territory (+1-613-282 2900) and in New Delhi, India (+91-98189 11325)

Check out something new – including for copies of the first two books below, at a discount, and much more : The Movements of Movements <https://movementsofmovements.net/>
Jai Sen, ed, 2017 – The Movements of Movements, Part 1 : What Makes Us Move ?.  New Delhi : OpenWord and Oakland, CA : PM Press.  Ebook and hard copy available at PM Press <http://www.pmpress.org/>; hard copy only also at The Movements of Movements <https://movementsofmovements.net/>
Jai Sen, ed, 2018a – The Movements of Movements, Part 2 : Rethinking Our Dance.  Ebook and hard copy available at PM Press <http://www.pmpress.org/>; hard copy only also at The Movements of Movements <https://movementsofmovements.net/>
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