Communism has been despised across the world and the celebration over its fall in Europe in the late 80s to the early 90s is well documented in history books.
But in South Africa, spearheaded by the SA Communist Party it would rise during these very years under the leadership of Joe Slovo, Chris Hani and Charles Nqakula and following the unbanning of the ANC and other political formations.
However, the burning question today is whether communism in South Africa died with Hani who was arguably the second most influential political leader in South Africa after Nelson Mandela at the time.
Hani, alongside the late Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela commanded the socialist and leftist forces within the ANC and the country in the early 90s, much to the frustration of the liberals in the ANC and the apartheid regime during the Codesa negotiations.
At the time, the communist Hani was not willing to bend on his socialist beliefs despite the comfort that was promised through the negotiated settlement which the liberals in his party advocated for.
Gunned down on April 10 1993, he paid the ultimate price for standing his communist and socialist ground.
In marking the 25th anniversary since his death last month, many were asking whether, were he still alive, he would approve of what the SACP of today stands for and if it remains relevant in advancing its founding mission of a socialist South Africa?
“Socialism is the future; build it now!” shouts a slogan in the SACP website home page. But does the SACP’s actions today point to a party that has kept its eye on the ball in advancing whet it was founded for – to push for a socialist South Africa.
Instead, it would seem that the mission which remained intact during the SACP of Slovo and Hani has been replaced by something – an uncontrollable desire by incumbent leaders of the party to gain space on the gravy train.
SACP leaders, in particular after the 2009 general elections, have grown fonder of state power than the party cause as seen with several central committee members who have been and are members of the South African executive, including the SACP leader since 1998, Blade Nzimande.
As things stand, six of the SACP’s central committee members serve in the Cabinet – Nzimande is minister of transport; Rob Davies trade and industry; Gwede Mantashe mineral resources; Jeff Radebe energy; Buti Manamela deputy minister of higher education and training; and Jeremy Cronin deputy in public works.
There is also the likes of Phumulo Masualle, the Premier of the Eastern Cape and Mandla Makupula, the province’s education MEC.
In the process of communists becoming embedded in the government and having cushy jobs with perks, the SACP, a self-proclaimed “vanguard of the working class” lost teeth and ceased to bark in defence of the workers.
This though, was what Hani anticipated decades ago as encapsulated in A Jacana Pocket Biography: Chris Hani by Hugh Macmillan.
“What I fear,” Hani is quoted saying, “is that the liberators emerge as elitists, who drive around in Mercedes-Benzes and use the resources of this country …to live in palaces and to gather riches.”
And so they did as is evident today by the number of communist party leaders who are among those driven around with blue lights flashing, living in style and pocketing the hefty salaries that come with membership of the executive.
Who can forget the national outcry that Nzimande sparked in 2009 when, just a few months after being appointed minister of higher education and training, he gave the nod to purchasing a new R1.1-million BMW 7501 for his use in carrying out state duties.
Did he forget the sentiments of Hani in the early 90s: “The perks of a new government are not really appealing to me. Everybody would like to have a good job, a good salary, but for me that is not the all of struggle. What is important is the continuation of the struggle… the real problems of the country are not whether one is in Cabinet …but what we do for social upliftment of the working masses of our country.”
Such was the exemplary ethos of Chris Hani. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the leaders of the party of today.
The SACP is invariably found wanting on national issues for workers and socialism.
In 2012 when workers protesting for decent wages at Marikana were gunned down, the SACP was missing in action. So much so that EFF leader Julius Malema saw the gap and relaunched his political career.
In recent years a raging debate has been taking place about whether the state should expropriate land without compensation to speed up land redistribution.
Once again, the so-called champion of socialism is nowhere to be found, as was the case during the FeesMustFall protests by university students in pursuit of fee-free education at tertiary level.
Over other issues of exploitation and abuse of workers that have made national headlines, the same SACP went into hiding.
It is against this background that one could be forgiven for thinking the EFF with its red attire and whose members make more noise about communism and socialism than the SACP do, is the communist party of South Africa.
Simply put, the SACP of today has long abandoned its mission which Hani summarised so perfectly when he said: “Socialism is not about big concepts and heavy theory. Socialism is about decent shelter for those who are homeless.
“It is about water for those who have no safe drinking water. It is about healthcare, it is about a life of dignity for the old. It is about overcoming the huge divide between urban and rural areas. It is about a decent education for all our people.
“Socialism is about rolling back the tyranny of the market. As long as the economy is dominated by an unelected, privileged few, the case for socialism will exist.”
Zingisa Mvumvu is senior political reporter for the Daily Dispatch