The ANC-SACP government says it has a plan to take the
masses out of poverty and to create 5 million jobs by 2020. Once again the
masses are being asked to wait for years while the big capitalists continue to
profit every day. The key component of the state plan for jobs is the R3200 bn
infrastructure plan.
The state is lying
about jobs
Sixty percent (60%) of this budget goes to electricity,
almost R2000 bn. But it only takes 800 to 1000 people to run and maintain a
large power station. So at most 10 000 permanent jobs will be created at a
cost of R2 trillion. Most of the rest of the jobs are temporary construction
jobs.
Secondly the state and the Cosatu leaders claim that the
doubling of electricity capacity from 45 000 MW to 90 000MW by 2020
will enable new industries to open up. The truth is that in SA and around the
world, industries are closing down. The world economy has been in steep decline-
this has accelerated since 2007-8. The ‘growth’
of new industries is another lie.
Most homes of the working class are already in darkness
because we cannot afford the high price of electricity. What will happen when
the state further increases the price as they must do every year to pay for the
R2000 000 000 000 electricity scam project? Already, the big bosses
like Anglo American pay less than 20 per unit, while we pay 5 times more- the
masses are subsidizing the capitalists. Now we still have to pay for an
electricity project that will not benefit the working class. The state will
have to mothball (temporary shut down) some power stations because there will
be massive over-capacity.
The state is planning to build at least 6 more nuclear power
stations. After the
The state is bailing
out Anglo American while the working class has to pay
Anglo American controls the coal, nuclear and cement resources.
The ANC has signed contracts with them for the next 50 years! There is no plan
to meet the housing backlog of 2.1 million units. Their plan is for a few
thousand houses (19 000, some of which will be sold to the masses). The rest
will go to upgrading 150 townships with swings, painting walls and seesaws.
Shacks will be ‘upgraded’ to have high class toilets next to them or in the
backyards. [They might not even work as the state plans to increase the price
of water]
Another R583
bn (almost 20% of the R3204 Bn) will go for transport; this is
mostly for highways, rail and ports upgrades for minerals and freight and for
new oil pipelines to make the more efficient plunder of the mineral wealth by
Anglo American and other capitalists.
Thus
over 80% of the infrastructure plan is just to serve the interests of the
capitalists The
annual interest payment on a R3204 Bn loan will be R288 bn. This is in
addition to the 100Bn that the state already pays for debt. The state has
already taken billions from our pension monies to fund the privatization of
roads. They will take even more in future.
Workers
will be forced to pay more tax; like in
The
way forward
The
Cosatu leaders are protecting the capitalists because they are dependant on
their privileges from the crumbs from Anglo American and other big capitalists.
In
Draft demands and steps
towards a really better life for all:
1. Share all work among all who can work, without loss of
pay- reduce the working week;
2.
Scrap
all privatization of roads, renationalize the roads under workers control;
3.
Open
the books of Anglo American and other capitalists to a worker-controlled public
audit;
4.
Expropriate
all those capitalists guilty of ‘transfer-pricing’ (lying about the value of
exports);
5.
Begin
phasing out of all coal and nuclear power; towards 100% solar, hydro and wind
power; no to bailout of Anglo American and other capitalists!
6.
nationalise
all the land; expropriate all the cement and clay reserves; expropriate all the
large capitalist construction companies and the banks, without compensation;
for the creation of a single state bank and single state construction company,
under workers control; low rental housing for all, with exemptions for low
paid, unemployed and pensioners;
7.
Expropriate
all the commercial farms; For worker collectives to be set up; state assistance
to all small farms and existing communal farms; expropriation of all the large
food companies and retailers, under workers control; for a single worker-controlled
national food distributor;
8.
Expropriate
the entire transport industry without compensation to the capitalists, under
workers control; for mass, safe public transport, under workers control;
9.
Expropriate
under workers control, of all industries that retrench workers;
10. to prepare the way to a General strike for
the working class to advance to workers power, the only way to expropriate the
1%, we need to set up factory/strike committees (uniting worker delegates from
all unions and non-unionised, casual, contract or immigrant workers) at every
workplace, mine and farm; in every community strike committees should be set up
uniting employed workers, unemployed workers and the youth; The strike
committees should set up committees of self-defence which should include
delegates from rank and file soldiers [the history of 1985 to 1995 shows that
Anglo American and other big capitalists will not hesitate to set up their own
private armed groups to attack workers- no ruling class has ever given up power
to the masses, without a fight]. We call for the working class in the
11. For a Federation of Socialist workers
states of
12. For a Soviet Africa (based on workers
councils).
This is
the way to establish real freedom; to commemorate the real essence of Mayday.
This is the way to globalise Tahrir square, to take the
27.04.2012 issued by Workers
International Vanguard Party (formerly Workers International Vanguard
League); 1st Floor, Community House, 41 Salt River rd, Salt River,
7925, ph 021 4476777; ph 0822020617, workersinternational@gmail.com ; website: www.workersinternational.org.za