No One To Represent The Working Class

WE refer to the letter ‘Working class issues and Swapo capitalism'(May11, 2007) by Z K Mujoro of Walvis Bay.

The interesting letter reminded us of the Japanese saying that behind every great fortune lies an even bigger crime. As one of the most unequal societies in the world, this saying applies very much to Namibia.How can we seriously talk about liberation or freedom in the context of such extreme economic inequality? “Freedom” for Big Business means that there must be no rules in the economy.Just imagine what a totally barbaric society we would have without rules.Ultimately, only brute force would dictate.The bottom line is that there is no economic democracy in the country and that Big Business cannot be trusted with our future.Big Business cannot be leading role player in society.Only the working class can play such a leading role.The historic need for a political organisation (or movement) of the Namibian working class is really very urgent.All the Namibian political parties (Swapo, CoD and DTA) are centre-right parties.No significant ideological differences exist amongst them, they all support capitalism.The differences in the political parties are basically about personalities – therefore the recent shenanigans in Swapo and CoD.These parties have nothing of substance to offer the working class.It seems to us that the squabbles in these centre-right parties originate from the undemocratic belief of their presidents that they are the sole and authentic leaders! A political organisation of the working class must distinguish itself ideologically from these centre-right organisations, it must say and show clearly that it does not support capitalism.There is no parliamentary road to economic liberation.The ineffective Namibian Parliament cannot do anything about the bleak economic situation in the country.For those parliamentarians sitting there it is all about parliamentary privileges.Fundamental change will only come from the struggles of the working class on the shop floors and in the streets.This will only happen if we begin to organise ourselves and have coordinated action.In our view Swapo did not liberate the country.Yes, Swapo was more serious about the armed struggle than the ANC, but Swapo never scored a single military victory against the colonial military.So let us expose the empty bravado of Swapo.Swapo cannot liberate us from this economic system.The Namibian working class must form its own political movement to take the struggle for economic liberation forward.R Hamukwaya J Van Wyk, KatuturaAs one of the most unequal societies in the world, this saying applies very much to Namibia.How can we seriously talk about liberation or freedom in the context of such extreme economic inequality? “Freedom” for Big Business means that there must be no rules in the economy.Just imagine what a totally barbaric society we would have without rules.Ultimately, only brute force would dictate.The bottom line is that there is no economic democracy in the country and that Big Business cannot be trusted with our future.Big Business cannot be leading role player in society.Only the working class can play such a leading role.The historic need for a political organisation (or movement) of the Namibian working class is really very urgent.All the Namibian political parties (Swapo, CoD and DTA) are centre-right parties.No significant ideological differences exist amongst them, they all support capitalism.The differences in the political parties are basically about personalities – therefore the recent shenanigans in Swapo and CoD.These parties have nothing of substance to offer the working class.It seems to us that the squabbles in these centre-right parties originate from the undemocratic belief of their presidents that they are the sole and authentic leaders! A political organisation of the working class must distinguish itself ideologically from these centre-right organisations, it must say and show clearly that it does not support capitalism.There is no parliamentary road to economic liberation.The ineffective Namibian Parliament cannot do anything about the bleak economic situation in the country.For those parliamentarians sitting there it is all about parliamentary privileges.Fundamental change will only come from the struggles of the working class on the shop floors and in the streets.This will only happen if we begin to organise ourselves and have coordinated action.In our view Swapo did not liberate the country.Yes, Swapo was more serious about the armed struggle than the ANC, but Swapo never scored a single military victory against the colonial military.So let us expose the empty bravado of Swapo.Swapo cannot liberate us from this economic system.The Namibian working class must form its own political movement to take the struggle for economic liberation forward.R Hamukwaya J Van Wyk, Katutura