From: gavan@elc.mth.uct.ac.za (Gavan Tredoux)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Re: UPI: Ciskei troops kill fifteen as ANC marches on Ciskei capital
Date: 11 Sep 92 12:04:57 GMT
Organization: University of Cape Town
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4

nicolson@odie.ee.wits.ac.za (James Nicolson) writes:
: In article <1992Sep10.142340.27922@ucthpx.uct.ac.za> gavan@elc.mth.uct.ac.za (Gavan Tredoux) writes:
: 
: >There isn't any parallel, merely because people are out in the streets
: >in both cases. The European situation was largely spontaneous, it wasn't
: >organized by a insurgent organization with a history of armed struggle
: >and "people's war". One striking difference: in Europe the communists
: >were the target of the protests, here they lead them. 
: 
: In both cases, people were marching because of the frustration of a 
: government denying them freedom. 

Very romantic reading of events this.


: Do you think the people in the Ciskei were 
: marching because they were told to by the ANC? This is typical SABC-line: 
: mention the word communist, and this demonises the action, without any 
: attempt at logical argument. Also anything which is planned must necessarily 
: have sinister motives.

What has clearly emerged from the Mass Action campaign, over the past 3
years, is a trail of disruption, intimidation and bloodshed. Comparison
with Europe is thus ridiculous. How, and if, the events are organized,
what the AIMS behind them are, the political and social context, and so
on, affect the outcome of the strategy critically. In this case there
could only have been a heightening of political tension in an already
explosive political situation, leading to escalation of violence
and hostilities. This is intentional, as it tends to strengthen the
ANC's hand, keeps their momentum going, overshadows their opponents,
keeps the youth happy, indulges the Cronins and other SACP dreks' 
fantasies about "Leipzig options", and so on. All very handy. As for the SABC,
I guess an equally immature response would be to wonder whether you're
auditioning for Gill Marcus' position on the ANC Info desk, or cultural
desk of your choice, but I refrain. Withdrawn, your honour.

: 
: >a. They wanted the confrontation, and the massacre suits them down to
: >the ground. Notice similar actions planned for Bophuthatswana.
: 
: More cynical SABC propaganda -- who could imagine the ANC cares about it 
: supporters?... certainly not anyone who only watches SABC and reads
: about the ANC in books. For the people in the townships, very often, the 
: ANC, and the community organisations which it dominate represent the only 
: source of help and support -- people committed to improving the lives of 
: township residents. It is easy to lambast the ANC from in front of a 
: console, but not so easy to understand what is really happening in the day 
: to day lives of people.

Thanks for the sermon James. Yes, you might stop to consider whether they
really do care if people keep on dying. Notice they have more of these
marches planned, eg one on KwaZulu, Bophuthatswana etc. Some cynicism
and skepticism would serve you well, and save you from the almost certain
fate of being remembered as the Barbara Cartland of politics, all gushy
romance and true love, "the day to day lives of people", "people committed
to improving the lives of township residents" ... . This is about POWER
Barbara, not love. Maybe lust, but you understand that only too well ...
 
: >b. They're trying to unseat all tin-pot dictators who DISAGREE with
: >them, are not allies. Holomisa runs an IDENTICAL setup in the Transkei,
: >also after a coup. Why not unseat him? Simple, he's in their fold.
: >If the Transkei resembles the New South Africa, we're in deep shit. 
: 
: Not quite IDENTICAL. At least the ANC is allowed to operate normally within 
: Transkei. 

Quite. Where they're in control (and Holomisa is definitely in their
pocket) there's no need to go to war. Note of course that nobody ELSE
is allowed to operate in the Transkei, just like nobody ELSE is allowed
to operate at UCT. Notice the power play here?
 
: "... in their pocket," -- someone else may call it forming an alliance. This 
: sort of language only fuels everyones perceptions that you are only out to 
: bash the ANC.

Oh, let's make no bones about it, and I never have (made any bones about it,
that is). I'm out to bash EVERYONE because they're all putrid. Swill.
The sooner you realise that the better. Gqoza and Holomisa are peas in a pod.  

: No-one is talking about a new constitution with regards to the homelands. 
: The ANC is not looking to reform the homelands in the long term, it only 
: wants to ensure that they are not used to hinder its ability to organise. 

Oh, precisely! they wouldn't want to be hindered would they? Not that
they would ever hinder anyone else, would they? Negotiations are/were
precisely about the future of the homelands, everyone knows that they
will be reincorporated. They just trying to remove opponents in the
meantime. Not hard to see that this sort of thing, seizing power, 
produces violence. And this is what people compare to Europe? Mills
and Boon.

Gavan Tredoux
UCT
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african