Just a jump to the left, or is it right?

Surely anyone of sound mind would agree that Apartheid was a terrible idea both on a social and economic level. But if that is the case then how did the National Party (NP) manage to convince so many people that black people were a real threat to the stability of the country?

One of the main arguments that the National Party used was to tell anyone who would listen that they were not fighting 'blacks' but fighting communism. One just need lookat one of the main pieces of Apartheid Legislation know as 'The Suppresion of Communism Act' which set about banning the Communist Party of SOuth Africa. This Act was so broad in its definition of Communism that it also allowed the banning of the African National Congress (ANC) and the Pan African Congress (PAC). The Freedom Charter signed at Kliptown in 1955 was to add to the NP's idea that the ANC was simply a communist party in disguise.

In the context of the Cold War the NP's stand against communism (and thus the ANC) took on an interesting character. For as long as The Soviet Union (USSR) and the America (USA) were fighting their idealogical battle they were prepared to support anyone who seemed remotely against the opposition. When the NP declared the ANC a communist party the USSR jumped in and said that they would support the ANC with training, weapons, finances etc. This support continued throughout most of the apartheid era and as a result many top ANC members in exile (read Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma, Chris Hani etc) were trained and educated in the Soviet Union.

As the curtain began to fall on the NP and Apartheid the threat of communism taking over South Africa began to increase and the NP used that to further fuel the fear of many South African's. However the NP very suddenly did not have a leg to stand on as the Soviet Union withered and collapsed at the end of the 1980s.

Never the less, when the ANC came to power there were still many who worried that South Africa would follow the route into communism taken by so many other newly-independent African States. To this day there are murmurs that South Africa will slowly move more left and eventually become communist.

For me the threat of South Africa moving to the extreme left of the political spectrum is no as much of a clear and present danger as South Africa moving to the extreme right of the political spectrum.

Unless you have been in a hole the last week you will be familiar with the following phrases: "This is a building of a revolutionary party, here you behave or else you jump...don't come here with that tendency, that white tendency...you bastard" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9vVs48pn6s) and "don't touch me on my studio" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmMj72bQuDI). For me both these incidents represent the same kind of person: a right-wing, racist lunatic. However, the more dangerous of the two is most definitely Julius Malema. The AWB is a fringe party with very little support and resources whereas Julius Malema is a leader within the structures of the ruling party.

The ANC has got untold resources and influence and if the ANC is prepared to accept leaders such as Julius Malema then we should be more concerned about a jump to the right (and with it all its extreme racist tenedencies), rather than a jump to the left.


Post Script: Now I am well aware that Jacob Zuma has come out and criticised Julius Malema and well done to him for doing that. However, History tells us though that the ANC always treats its 'comrades' with a 'soft touch' and Julius will only really get a sterm talking to and nothing else. Here's to hoping that they prove us worng and make a stand for what is right!