Several organisations based in the Gauteng area met in Johannesburg a number of times over the last few weeks to reflect on the situation facing the country at the moment, and discussed the need for working class organisations and social movements to respond to these developments.
These organisations include: Abahlali base Freedom Park, #OutsourcingMustFall, Gauteng Community Health Care Forum, Simunye Workers Forum, Giwusa Wits Branch, Centre for Education Rights and Transformation (CERT), Khanya College and Casual Workers Advice Centre (CWAO).
According to a press statement released to all social movement organisations, in the course of these discussions it was clear that the struggles within the ANC, the corruption in the ANC and the government, and the struggles against corruption led by the parliamentary parties and other formations “will have a serious effect on the aspirations of the working class for improvement in our living conditions and a better life for our communities”. It was agreed that it is important for the working class and its organisations to intervene in the current events in order to ensure that the interests of the working class are defended and advanced.
It also became clear in these discussions that if the working class does not take leadership of the anti-corruption struggles the banner of anti-corruption will be used to consolidate and bring back the policies that have impoverished the majority of South Africans; policies that have fuelled corruption between business and government, reads the press statement. “The working class needs to ensure that the anti-corruption struggles that have been underway for more than two decades must be deepened, and that current struggles become national in character.”
Therefore, out of this necessity, a call has been made by these organisations for “a national Assembly of Social Movements and working class organisations to discuss the following issues: the impact of corruption on our communities; the impact of neoliberal policies that fuel corruption and lie at the source of our poverty; the need for a working class response to these policies and to the deep corruption of business and government; and a plan of action to coordinate our current struggles against corruption and neoliberal policies and to raise them to a national struggle.”
Due to the urgency of the issue, and due to the break out of struggles in working class communities, the organisations have proposed a mass meeting on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 June in Johannesburg at the House of Movements.
The aim of this mass meeting is to engage with various movements and organisations of the working class about this call, and to struggle to ensure the working class takes leadership of the anti-corruption struggles nationally.
Date of Mass Meeting: 2-3 June 2017
Venue: House of Movements, 123 Pritchard street, Johannesburg.
