THE which are being forged in the struggle against apartheid South Africa are very different to those which socialists are faced with or familiar with in Britain -although they would be recognised by a socialist in Ireland for example. The difference arises from the alliance in struggle between the organisations of the working La revolutionary tionalist organisation, African National (ANC).
JOE GREEN looks at a key idea for understanding the basis of united action of working class revolutionary organisations, and the struggle in South Africa the imperialist united front.
In South Africa the leading mas: organisations of the working class anc oppressed are evident. organisation of the black working class is the Confederation of South Africar Trade Unions (COSATU). powerful political organisation of the oppressed in the country is the ANC. The main organisation which brings the different United Democratic Front Waches 1½-2 million members.
These latter include trade unions, supporters of the ANC, decisive role, and a whole series other organisations.
What differentiates the UDF from ne more ama e os woc socialists see in Britain is that it is based on a united front between organisations of the working class and a revolunonary nationalist organisation, The most powerful mass actions in South Africa have been those which involved, and brought together. these iwo forces. The Transvaal strike of November 1984, the highest point of mass struggle in South Africa so far, was based on the united action of the Federation Unions (FOSATU)
UDF.
The reason why the united front in South Africa takes the form of united action between organisations of the working class and a revolutionary nationalist organisation is nature of the objective tasks which face the working class and oppressed in that alliances Brilall. WICH in British nationalist ¡caclollaiy. naIor national demands dominated by imperialism, struggle.
unity of the country, nationalist antiis totally progressive -The strongest Confronted tional struggles The mosı with organisations waging Inese demands: forces is the This question (UDF), affiliated who play other classes of Irish society — the But Connolly general tionary nationalists.
rising against lion of the Republic the political basis of the rising.
its politics. aue lo the munist country. In an imperialist state such as DOUT LCUl. democratic revolution centuries ago, organisations But in a country dominated by imperialism, or one which has not had its bourgeois democratic revolution, nationalist organisations have a quite different signiticance. Even in these coun. tries, there can be, and sometimes are, lolally reacnonary nanonansi organisa tions. But fundamentally the struggle In a country or which has not had its bourgeois democratic revolution, is an entirely progressive:
In Ireland the struggle to secure the and throw out British imperialism from the north, is completely to be supported. The fight for democratic demands against apartheid in South Africa, as well as that to constitute a single nation in that state, • and the main axis or le struggie m une country with progressive naan oovous ouesuor which is posed is what alliances working class organisations should make bourgeois and pelly bougeois a struggle for democratic was particularly sharply posed for example, in Ireland at the beginning of the twentieth century. Here James Connolly, following Marx, pursued tactics which prefigured those which were later adopted by the Communist International after its founding.
Connolly set about organising the Irish working class independently of all - through the formation of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union and the Irish Socialist Republican Party.
simultaneously argued for the independent organisations of the working class in Ireland 1o enter into united action with the revoluThe outcome of Inis alllance was tne most importan event in Irish history: the 1916 Easter British imperialism. Accompanying this was the 1916 Declara- which formed front.
When the Communist International was formed in 1919 it placed the struggle against imperialism at the centre of radical At its second congress in 1920 and I its tourth congress in 1922. the Com- -discussed relations with bourgeois and revolutionary nationalist organisations. These arrived at, in theoretical form, essentially the same conclusions on alliances Connolly had developed practically in Ireland. The conclusions were adopted in the position on the anti-imperialist united front adopted at the fourth congress of the Communist International.
The outline of the position for those countries which had not had their bougeois democratic revolutions, were dominated by imperialism, clear in terms of its class alliances.
• A revolutionary working class party had 1o be created 1o fight for political autonomy • The working class had 1o be organised independently of all other classes through trade unions and other mass working class organisations. • These organisations of the working class had 1o enter into united front action with the revolutionary, and where a basis exists for this bourgeois nationalist, organisations stituting the anti-imperialist As long as the working class was not able 1o fight directly and immediately power • 11 ha0 10 [1g]| democratic demands political democracy this of course constitutes a basis for united action betweenne working class and revolutionary nationalist organisations.
This framework allows the dynamic of laking place Africa, and the tasks and tactics which flow from it, 1o be clearly understood. United action between the organisations of the working class today the trade unions and COSATU, developing. precisely the most developed form of this united front. The demands of the ANC Freedom Charter and more partial demands which flow from it in the struggle against apartheid such as are taken up by the UDF demands on which this united front can be based.
A revolutionary working class party must be buill in South Africa. however must have, and can only be built by having, a correct united front approach 1o the ANC, the trade unions and the UDF.
order 10 help understand the dynamics of the struggle in Africa we are printing the resolution of the Communist International on the anti-imperialist united front and the platform of demands of the UDF.