Viewpoint by ANC Secretary General Cde Gwede Mantashe

Viewpoint| by GWEDE MANTASHE

Open letter from the African National Congress to the Communist Party of Cuba Dear Comrade General Secretary of the CPC The African National Congress, its leadership and entire membership as well as supporters and people of South Africa would like to take this opportunity to renew the bonds of friendship between our two parties. The friendship between Communist the Party of Cuba (CPC) and the African National Congress (ANC) is as old as the struggle against imperialism in all facets - slavery, colonialism, neo-colonialism and apartheid. Our countries could never have been liberated if all peace-loving humanity was not on the same side.

The imperialist forces also formed alliances but were defeated because oppression of others cannot be justified by any means. The power of superior arms and wealth has their limitations for they are always employed to thwart progress. We particularly wish to acknowledge this friendship of progressive forces in this month of July, which marks the 61st Anniversary of the raid on the Moncada Barracks in 1953, a campaign that is to the Cuban revolution what the sabotage campaign was to the ANC in the 1960's at the beginning of the armed struggle against apartheid. We actually have one of our Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) detachments named the Moncada Detachment. This is after throngs of young people especially students from all over South Africa joined the ANC and MK to fight the scourge in our country that was condemned as a crime against humanity by the United Nations. The friendship between the CPC and the ANC is not accidental.

When one considers that at some point in history the British colonised Cuba even for a brief period, it becomes clear that the bond between our peoples and parties was inevitable. Like Cuba, South Africa changed hands between the Dutch and British the same way Cuba did between the Brits and the Spanish. We are working very hard to educate our people about this bond and the trials and tribulations of the Cuban revolution. In a tradition began by the likes of Jose Marti, our brother and comrade Fidel Castro and members of the PCC managed to lead Cuba to freedom. From as early as 1962, despite difficulties created by the imperialist forces, Cuba offered South Africans much needed military and academic training. Our people have benefited - and continue to do so - from the medical services that Cuba has always excelled in. In fact, your country and government have assisted thousands of people on the African continent and elsewhere in this regard. In all our formations including the trade union movements in both our countries, we have weathered the storms. The women of Cuba led by the Federacion de las Mujeres Cubanas (FMC) joined hands with women of South Africa led by Women's Section of the ANC at the United Nations International Conference of Women in Mexico in 1975. At this conference the condemnation of apartheid as a crime against humanity was reiterated and the suspension of the racist regime from the General Assembly of the UN was sealed.

Together as members of the Women's International Democratic Federation (WIDF) that was based in Berlin, capital of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), our women fought for the peace, equality and development for all humanity. Our youth also joined forces in the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) and popularised the struggle in Southern Africa, educated the world on the justness of armed struggle and the support Cuba offered to Angola when the latter was forced into a war of attrition by the most powerful country, the United States and its proxy, racist South Africa. They continue to call it a civil war but we know that they helped the forces that could not liberate Angola as they were tribally based and lacked the mass support from the majority of the people of that country. The imperialist forces and South Africa were only interested in the continued exploitation of the wealth of Angola - in this regard, the oil and diamonds were what they were after. Democracy and self-determination for the people of Angola was secondary - if they could not topple the victorious MPLA and install a puppet regime, they were bent on destroying the country completely. However, in the true spirit of internationalism, the Cuban people honoured the request by Agostino Neto, the founding president of liberated Angola to assist them in their moment of need. We do not forget the great battle of Cuito Canavale where the myth of the invincibility of the might of racist South Africa was shuttered once and for all. The military skills of the cadres of both SWAPO and ANC trained by the Cubans sent the racists packing.

The "Stalin Organ" or Katusha was so devastating it sent them running helter skelter all over the place. The South African Defense Force (SADF) was forced out and had to face the nation - albeit the white minority - to explain the body bags to parents and loved ones of the young men who had fallen illegally outside the borders of their country. Their grip on illegally occupied Namibia slipped away and the way was paved for the liberation of South Africa. The ANC was absolved by history as the unrelenting force for liberation and peace. In our quest to strengthen and consolidate our democracy, we still rely on the PCC's willingness and ability to hold our hand against all odds. The ANC will continue to work closely with your party collaborating in all aspects of development and peace. As Vladimir I Lenin stated, "taking power is easy the challenge is keeping it." Demands on our 20-year-old democracy are many and varied.

The glaring inequality and abject poverty of the majority of South Africans did not come in 1994. This is the legacy of centuries of oppression and deprivation. Among our people the protracted Cuban struggle against the US economic blockade is seen as a proud display of unfettered patriotism. We unreservedly support the international democratic forces for the unconditional liberation of the Cuban Five from United States prisons. Liberated Cuba has never faltered; instead it is growing in stature and proving its enemies wrong. Increasingly braver prouder nations are rallying around Cuba by increasing trade and encouraging other peace-loving countries to do likewise will remain primary. We salute countries like the Russian Federation, which has recently made important steps towards economic collaboration with Cuba.
Comradely regards,
Cde Gwede S Mantashe Secretary-General ANC

Viewpoint by Cde Jeff Radebe

Viewpoint| by JEFF RADEBE We dared dream!

The occasion of each State of the Nation Address, the Budget Speech by the Minister of Finance and the various budget votes by the various national departments, provincial governments and municipalities, provides us as a nation an opportunity to reflect on the strides we are making to live the 1994 dream of a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, equal and prosperous society. Very importantly, we must not be side-tracked by the kind of behaviour that the President cautioned against in his closing remarks during the debate on the Budget Vote of the Presidency. The beauty of our democracy is that the allocation of every cent is debated by all parliamentary members representing the throngs of the masses of our people. Twenty years ago we dared dream of what Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu called a rainbow nation, where the injunction of the Freedom Charter would find practical expression in that "South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white!" This Freedom Charter injunction is not about the South Africa geographical boundaries but very importantly also about the land, education opportunities, job opportunities, entrepreneurship opportunities, right to security, right to human dignity and all the various rights entailed in Chapter 2 dealing with the Bill of Rights as fundamental rights to all our people. That dream we had in 1994 was about dismantling the system of apartheid and replacing it with the Constitutional democracy that flows from the Constitution itself. Back then we had no illusion about the meaning of freedom as cutting across the spectrum of social, economic and political organisation of society. While political freedom was with the immediacy of casting those historic ballots in 1994, the socio-economic freedom was naturally to be a more protracted endeavour given the structural challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality in South Africa. South Africa is a very vibrant democracy, with various political parties espousing various ideologies but all united by the common claim to our constitutional democracy.

The constitution itself is not a neutral document as some would have us believe, but biased to the ideals that many struggled for and some of whom paid the ultimate price. Nonetheless we can pride ourselves with the fact that despite all adverse political differences we have nonetheless exercised restraint as underlined by the supremacy of the Constitution that provides both the enabling tools as well as the limitations to our freedoms. The dream of a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, equal and prosperous society can only become a reality because all South Africans work together to move South Africa forward. The conclusion of the recent budget vote process by Parliament signals the beginning of concerted efforts at realising this historic dream and make South Africa a better place for all its people. Our people have good reason to expect that members of parliament will not take up this very important constitutional platform and basic evidence of our democracy, to grand stand whilst the real tasks to move South Africa forward suffers. Government has adopted a clear plan in the National Development Plan and Vision 2030 to ensure that the dreams that we had under leadership of our iconic former President Nelson Mandela as we made the 1994 political breakthrough becomes a living reality amongst all South Africa's people. Thus Members of Parliament have an important obligation to inspire confidence that commitment is in ensuring that the socio-economic conditions of all our people are attended expeditiously and effectively. Some of the ordinary people were invited by the President and were seated in the public gallery as they observed the proceedings of this esteemed body , their parliament that they elected on the 7th May 2014. They must have listened carefully as not to miss any important message from their public representatives.

They must have observed how other national experiences in other countries have collapsed into conflicts, but they must have reasonably believed that Madiba's dream of a peaceful democratisation will live on! Many of these people would have woken up early in the morning because they have this real dream that their lot would be made better, because this august body, the National Parliament of our republic, would spare no effort at playing its due role towards their socio-economic emancipation. They would have been caught by surprise that some members of this esteemed democratic institution, the National Parliament, would disregard the high standing they as individuals and as a collective have in the transformation agenda of our country. The language and the general behaviour by MP's had the potential to inspire their dream for a better life or it would have shattered it to pieces. Thus as the President chastised MP's for their behaviour, we was not belittling any of them, but reminding them of the very important obligation that they have to the dream that our people hold so dearly, and for which many struggled for and some of whom paid the ultimate price. For most of the time, those ordinary members of society will not be in the house to observe any further the proceedings of this esteemed body, the National Parliament of our republic. As the ordinary people turned their backs to the parliament precincts to proceed with their own individual duties, those who remained behind to proceed with the business of legislation must remember that they have in their hands the power to make or break the lives of many people.

The same call must be made to all other public representatives in provincial governments and municipalities across the breadth and length of our beautiful land. All public employees must also heed the call made by the President to serve all our people with the dignity and speed they deserve. it is important to remember that the political sphere has discharged much of its duties in laying down the bedrock of our democracy both through the constitution and the various legislative instruments that guide our transformation agenda. Similarly we can be proud that we have an independent judiciary to ensure that our transformation agenda move away from the injustices of the past. We are a nation still in transition, to create what the Archbishop Desmond Tutu appropriately called a rainbow nation. We have achieved much in political transformation. As much of the challenges are now with regards the socio-economic emancipation of all our people and thus complete the full circle of our freedom as asserted in the Freedom Charter, it is imperative that business must also heed the President's call to move South Africa forward. By the definition of our economy, government will continue to play a developmental role to enable more and more participation by all our people in the business of our country.

We know too well that the structural inequalities of the past that have been occasioned by amongst others monopoly capital continue to hamper the progressive realisation of the dream that our people led by Nelson Mandela in 1994 had. Indeed it was not a dream just about casting the vote. It was very importantly the high expectations as the ordinary people who occupied the public gallery to listen to the President had. Thus as the President spoke in favour of the expediency of the resolution of the various challenges facing our people, they must have left the public galleries reassured that inspite the occasional distraction of unparliamentarily behaviour by some, nonetheless the ruling party will not be distracted in its course towards their urgent socio-economic emancipation. We must indeed individually and collectively strive to re-assure our people that their course is the most important preoccupation by all MP's. like an ox drawn plough, we must inspite of our various differences strive to pull in one direction as directed by the National Development Plan and the vital instruments in this regard of the Medium Term Strategic Framework adopted by government. It is a call we make to all MP's, Provincial Governments, Municipalities, Business, organised labour and all civil society organisations. None amongst us must fold their arms and expect others to make the dream that we had twenty years ago a reality. It is a dream that cannot be deferred, lest we invite a disdain not only of the various institutions of our democracy, but also very importantly even the lofty meaning that the Constitution of our republic must occupy in the minds and hearts of all our people.

The constitution, our democracy and the various institutions that flow from these, are as useful and meaningful as progressive changes they bring into the lives of all our people. For as long as inequality, unemployment and poverty continue to ravage our people, most importantly along the defaults of race and gender, for as long that we must commit to expeditiously fulfilling the dream espoused by Madiba as he led the nation into the 1994 democratic breakthrough. It is a dream that OR Tambo, Chris Hani, Solomon Mahlangu, Anton Lembede, Charllotte Maxeke and many more unsung heroes and heroines of the struggle for democracy paid the ultimate price. We continue to have this hope because we dared dream, We are committing ourselves to the realisations of all our collective cream of a better life for all! We have this hope because we are confident that as the President indicated, working together we can and must move South Africa forward!

Comrade Jeff Radebe, NEC Member and Head of ANC Policy Unit

COSAS SEBETWANE BRANCH RE-LAUNCH

Leadership of Sebetwane Branch

COSAS BRANCH RE-LAUNCH

COSAS
Sebetwane Branch

Chairperson:Molefe Sechabela-M
Deputy Chairperson:Matlhogonolo      Letlhogile-F
Secretary:Nthabiseng Majuta-F
Deputy Secretary:Isaac Motlogelwa-M
Treasurer:Boitumelo Maretela-F

Additional members

1)Kenalemodisa Mongale-M
2)Omphemetse Keitlhabile-F
3) Gopolang Taaibos-M
4) Boinelo Moitlhwe-F
5) Thato Motsime-M
6) Lesedi Bahumi-F
7) Kago Gaobape-M
8) Malebogo Lethobeng-F
9) Bakang Gabatshele-M
10) Tumelo Modi-F

I like to take this moment to help all members whom make this happen especially matric whom manage to attend our branch launch, I like to thank the following REC members for making this possible (Tshepang Bareki and Kagiso Morapedi) and PEC Treasurer (Masego Genda) also myself (Thatoyaone Moepetsane) to take this organization back to basic from intention to action. I hope elected leadership will make former leadership of Sebetwane Branch proud, I hope they take this organization to the next level.

NORTH WEST PGC OF COSAS

I like to take this moment to greet you in your name and in the name of our learners representative COngress of South African Students (COSAS)

We as members and leadership of branches and regions we must take conscious decision in terms of leadership, we as branches delegates we must elect leadership that will take our province in the next step and never repeat mistakes that outgoing leadership done, we demand schoolers leadership.

Leadership that will make this province vibrant as it was in term of leadership like Cde Kenny Morolong, Cde Sibusiso Kula and others, not term of  Cde Seatlathebe Lepomane whom failed our region I'm not sure whether he didn't failed other regions or not.

We must take COSAS back to basic, from intention to action as resolution of 2012 National Congress at Mahikeng-University of North West-Mafikeng Campus, when we say back to basic we simply say that COSAS must lead by learners, because is the one whom know advantages and disadvantages of learning.

In conclusion we must elect leadership that are capable not elect leadership because of core of the African National Congress (ANC), we must not consider core of ANC within our organization, if allow fight within ANC in our organization we must forget about achievement of free, compulsory and quality education in our lifetime.we as Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati Region we support Kagiso Kgabo to become Provincial Secretary.
                           AMANDLA!!!!