UPM: Election 2014: Our Position

Monday, 05 May 2014

Unemployed People’s Movement Press Statement

Election 2014: Our Position

The Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM) has endorsed the 'Sidikiwe! Vukani! Vote No!' campaign. We are calling on our members to refuse to vote for the ANC and vote for any of the small parties, but not the DA, or to spoil their votes if they cannot bring themselves to support any of the small parties.

We have received a number of calls from people wanting to know our stance on the decision by Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM) in Durban to offer a tactical vote to the DA in response to the serious repression that they have experienced from the ANC.

We note that AbM is the largest social movement in the country, well respected for its democratic culture, and that it has fought a heroic battle against evictions and for land and housing for nine years. We also note that AbM have won many victories but that that the movement has faced very serious repression. In 2009 many of its members were driven from their homes by the ANC. In 2013 three activists were murdered in Cato Crest where the movement has organised a land occupation (the Marikana Land Occupation) and a numbers of others have been shot and seriously wounded, beaten, arrested, tortured and evicted. The ANC, at local levels and at senior levels in the Municipality, has issued death threats against some of the movement’s leaders. The ANC is also ignoring court orders in Durban and using evictions as a form of political intimidation.

AbM did not get any meaningful support from the left while facing this repression. As a result of this repression they took a decision that they must reverse their rejection of electoral politics and make a tactical vote against the ANC. They were clear that they would not join any party and that they would retain their organisational and ideological autonomy and continue with their programme of struggle.

All political parties except the ANC were invited to make a presentation to the movement. The DA, NFP, EFF and WASP all made presentations to elected delegates from the branches. These delegates then took the matter back to the branches and a week later they all met again. The majority of the delegates voted that the movement should make a tactical vote for the DA in protest at ANC. It has been made clear that this is not a case of the members supporting the DA’s programme. It is a case of people wanting to cast a tactical vote to oppose the ANC and to weaken its majority. AbM have also made it clear that they remain committed to a left programme and that this decision is aimed at ensuring that the movement can survive in a highly repressive climate.

We understand that AbM wants to do everything that it can to reduce the majority of the party that is repressing the movement. We also understand that AbM is trying to use its large membership at a voting bloc to persuade the DA to oppose repression.

As the UPM we fully agree that the ANC are now oppressors who must be removed from office. However we cannot support a vote for the DA. It is a neoliberal party and one that does not oppose white supremacy. However as the UPM we acknowledge that AbM is facing serious repression, that it has not had meaningful support from the left, that its members have a right to decide on their own strategy and tactics and that this decision was taken in a very democratic manner. We also acknowledge that there is a big difference between how contradictions between the people should be handled as oppose to contradictions between the people and their oppressors.

We condemn the reckless attacks on the movement from some of the forces and individuals on the left, some of whom have a long history of gutter politics, and many of whom refuse to accept that poor black people can be full blown political subjects. These people are nowhere when grassroots movements are organizing and when they are facing repression yet they want to tell these movements what they should and should not do. The sort of Stalinist language that has been used has only ever functioned to weaken and divide the left. This is the sort of language that belongs to Gwede Mantashe and Blade Nzimande. Those who use this language to try and undermine their rivals on the left really need to read Leon Trotsky’s essay on cultured language.

The decision by AbM must be debated but that debate must be honest, it must allow AbM to explain the reasons for their decision and it must avoid personal insults. The culture of personal attacks and in some cases outright lies that is common on the left is very damaging to the left and is one reason for the weakness of the left. There are too many people on the left who try by all means, including gutter politics with its slander and lies, to ruin any organization or activists that they cannot rule. This must stop.

We need to acknowledge that no one activist or organisation has all the answers. We can all learn from each other – that is the dialectic of debate between comrades. AbM have gone further than anyone else in building and sustaining a mass democratic organisation. That achievement must be respected. Although we disagree with their decision to make a tactical vote for the DA we all have a lot to learn from them.

We are sure that once there is a credible electoral alternative to the ANC it will win the support of grassroots groups. However it is clear that while this alternative is being built all left formations must offer full support to all grassroots organisations in their struggles and especially when they confront repression.

There needs to be some serious introspection among the left as to why we have allowed the damaging culture of slander and gutter politics to fester and why we have not been able to be in real and effective solidarity with comrades facing serious repression.

As the UPM we are calling on organisations like Awethu, Vukani and Democracy from Below to begin a serious conversation about building unity between different organisations and finding ways to develop real solidarity with people and organisations facing serious repression. We also need a serious and respectful conversation among all left forces about strategy and tactics for the long struggle ahead.

Ayanda Kota: 078 625 6462

Bheki Buthelezi: 072 639 9893

Nthabiseng Seroba: 071 943 1995

Thembani Onceya: 071 048 4320