Speech Delivered by Zwelinzima Vavi on the Occasion of the 90th Anniversary of the 1917 Great October Socialist Revolution Hosted by the SACP at Cooke 2 Mine Sport Grounds, Bekkersdal

The General Secretary, comrade Blade Nzimande;

The chairperson of the SACP, comrade Gwede Mantashe

Members of the Central Committee;

The Leadership of the Young Communist League;  

ANC Deputy President, comrade Jacob Zuma;

ANCYL President, Fikile Mbalula

The leadership of the Alliance present here today;

Comrades and friends

COSATU is honoured by the invitation to address this important and historic gathering, which marks the worldwide celebrations of the 90th Anniversary of the Great October Russian Revolution. When many have declared socialism dead, it is appropriate to mark the 90th Anniversary of the Russian Revolution and re-instil confidence in the future of socialism. This rally takes place amid rising working class confidence in South Africa and the world, especially in Latin America.

The collapse of the Soviet Bloc in later 1980s led to a triumphalism imperialist camp and some of their ideologues claimed the end of history.  Today as we meet in this rally the overconfidence of neo-liberal globalisation has been challenged both by peoples' struggles and the failure of the system to resolve class contradictions and humanity's basic problem.  We are therefore at an important and opportune juncture to pursue the struggle for social transformation to greater height.

The October Revolution was the most important event in modern history. It marked the first victorious revolution of the working class since the Paris Commune. It showed the world that the system of power built on the working class and the poor was possible and more progressive than bourgeoisie democracy. The victory of the working class in Russia ushered in a revolutionary epoch that set the world on a path towards social justice. It laid the foundation for the liberation of colonised people from the imperialist yoke and many in Asia and Latin America chose to the socialist path.

It contributed to the creation of favourable conditions for the struggle of national liberation movements and dismantling the colonial system. It created a living alternative economic and political System. It revealed and laid bare the weaknesses of Capitalism and proved that Capitalist development will not resolve the comprehensive structural crisis that has afflicted the world, since this pattern of development is replete with social, political contradictions, conflicts, and polarisation.

The victory of the October revolution provided hope to the poor. It offered support for the peoples of developing countries, including our own people, in their aspirations for freedom and social progress. It tilted the world balance of forces and   created new favourable conditions for the peoples of advanced capitalist countries and the struggles of their workers to achieve more social and economic gains.

Indeed, the victory of the October Revolution occurred in the context of capitalist crisis, which had opened up the possibility of a world revolution.  However it goes without saying that the imperialist camp regrouped and unleashed counter-revolution in Russia and tacitly colluded with the Nazis to destabilise the Soviet Union.  The Soviet people repelled this challenge and despite claims to the contrary, the Second World War was won on the soil of Russia.

The soviet people under the leadership of the Party embarked on an ambitious programme to build socialism and to surpass the achievements of capitalism. Indeed, albeit with serious flaws, the soviet society invested heavily in industrial and scientific development to a point where the USSR was the first country to launch a rocket to the moon. This from a country that had an underdeveloped feudal-capitalist system. In human term the Soviet Union built an egalitarian society, which satisfied the basic needs of its people.  

Despite later distortions, it goes without saying that the Soviet achievement in science, industry, education and human development were unparalleled. Even the World Bank had to grudgingly concede the enormous achievement of the socialist bloc.  Cuba today has the best health care system based on the needs of its people and has more doctors per capita even exceeding most developed countries.

We stand here today with pride and with great emotion to salute and pay tribute to the heroes and heroines who contributed to the realisation of this victory, which was the first genuine victory of the working class.

The collapse of the Soviet Union the late 80s we were told was a poignant statement of the infeasibility and undesirability of socialism. Globalisation we were promised will herald a new era of prosperity for all. The new liberal dogma was unleashed on the people of the world and with more vigour and cynicism in the former Soviet republic. Capitalism was re introduced overnight without due regard to the social political and economic context of the former Soviets republics.  This resulted in a Mafia - style privatisation of state owned enterprises and the tearing down of the social welfare system.

What is the record since then? Capitalism remains a crisis-ridden system based on profit for a few. The divisions between the rich and the poor have widened both within and between nations. Rich countries are forcing poor countries to open their markets in search of profits, cheap labour and markets. This is in response to the crisis of profitability faced by capitalism in the rich countries.      

Mass impoverishment has become the order of the day as Neo liberalism has shattered social welfare systems and destroyed the public sector in many developing countries. Simultaneous with the restructuring of the working class, profits have soared for local and international bourgeoisie. In short mass impoverishment coexists with high levels of profit.

At the same time we have seen a spectacular revolution in the productive forces in areas like communication, transport and bio-medical science that suggest that we have the means to address problems of poverty, poor health care etc. Yet as Marx predicted, a system of private property prevents the application and use of this huge modern resources for the greater good.

For as long as this alarming reality lives with us, a case for a socialist revolution exists. Neo liberalism has been challenged throughout the world and more forcefully in Latin America. In this context we salute the wave of left wing-parties coming to power in Latin America part of that wave of global challenge to neo liberalism. The South African working class has also forcefully challenged the neo liberal dogma and this year it has sent the message to the bosses that the party is over!

What are the implications for the South African Revolution? We must see our struggles as interlinked with the global struggle against neo liberal globalisation. Our challenge is to radicalise the current path of the National Democratic Revolution. This means building the power and the confidence of the working class to challenge the hegemony of capital. That requires a reversal of the flirtation with the neo liberal dogma by the democratic government. It also requires that we consolidate and deepen the left ward shift in economic policy.

It is in that context that we must locate the forthcoming 52nd ANC Conference. What are the minimum things we wish coming out of that conference? First we all agree that we need change from the current centralised technocratic political management of the ANC, the alliance and the state.

Second we need a leadership collective that can take the alliance serious and be ready to engage.  Third, we need set of policies that are premised on the needs of the people. No policy should be cast in stone and all policies must be interrogated relative to the Freedom Charter objectives.

Fourth, we must emerge from that conference with a programme to reunify the movement and heal the divisions. We must warn though that unity must not be based on false consensus instead it should be premised on the shared vision and objectives to transform society and to revitalise our movement.

As socialists within the alliance we have always held that he NDR is the shortest route to socialism. We are confronted with the challenge to articulate our perspective of what are the immediate tasks and how we will prosecute our long-term vision to build socialism.

All we do today and tomorrow must empower the working class to confront its class enemy and to mobilise vast sections of our society around the vision of socialism. We cannot postpone the task of agitating for Socialism to some unknown distant future as other have counselled.  This means we must invest more energy to building the Party and the trade union movement as well as deepening the class-consciousness of the working class. It also means tilting the balance of forces within the ANC in favour of the working class.

COSATU is organising the conference of the left as part of the task to clarify ourselves on what we want and how we should arrive to our vision. We will engage the party the ANC and other left forces as part of preparation.

Let me end by noting that the working class in on the ascendance and it is the task of the leadership to marshal and channel this mass energy towards the progressive politics. If we are indecisive and lack clarity of purpose we will tail behind the workers. The workers have shown the way and the leadership should not waver!

On the Limpopo leadership question the first thing we must say is that the people have already spoken. The branches' nominations have shown that Jacob Zuma is the preferred candidate of the masses. We are aware of attempts to subvert democracy and impose on our people leadership from the boardrooms. These attempts by ministers and business will fail. Our people must take their money and buy food for their children. But in Limpopo their vote is a secret and there they must vote against divisions, marginalisation of the Alliance including ANC members. Vote against use of state of institutions and corruption. Vote against unemployment and growing inequalities. Vote against poverty. Vote for change.

Amandla