By Andile Mngxitama
The script of parliamentary coups against recalcitrant leaders is written in London and certified in Washington DC. The laboratory of this post cold war, ‘cold war’ is Brazil. The announcement today of the prosecution of Jacob Zuma brings this modus operandi into full circle. The war against the BRICS block is now almost complete. The removal of former President Zuma as President was the beginning of the end of the BRICS project.
Imperialism has now broke two legs of BRICS – Brazil and South Africa (SA). BRICS is not an ideology free block. The removal of the leftist President of Brazil and the black radical nationalist Zuma and the replacement of both of them by corrupt stooges of the West has broken the glue that kept BRICS together. China and Russian may as well speak directly with London, Brussels and Washington DC.
The move now firmly established is to use the media, corrupt opposition parties, politicians, the pro West/WMC faction of the ruling party, as well as the foreign funded and directed so-called civil society organizations – their uniting theme being the fight against corruption. These forces that claim to fight corruption are themselves corrupt to the core. This is true for Brazil as it for South Africa.
The last and significant tactic of these coups is the judiciary which is used for selective prosecutions. Again this method was tested in Brazil where the most popular Presidential candidate has been blocked from running via malicious prosecutions and convictions. Having perfected this method with Lula da Silva – the poor peoples choice – in Brazil, they are now doing the same with Zuma who is the father of Radical Economic Transformation (RET) in SA.
Lula and Zuma are being punished for choosing policies which serve the poor but threaten the interests of big capitalists. The prosecutions are calculated to intimidate all the forces that want economic redistribution to the poor. The judicial attacks are coordinated with the same forces in the opposition parties that are controlled by London and Washington DC.
We have seen how in SA the announcement to prosecute former President Zuma was preceded by attempts to deny him state funds to defend himself legally. Nothing is a coincidence. The program of suffocation is designed by imperialism.
Lula has been convicted in a Kangaroo Court. Zuma’s rights have been undermined severely in several ways. Just like Lula, Zuma will not receive a fair trial since the very process to prosecute him has been nothing but political persecution.
Zuma is being punished for standing out and supporting RET. Zuma would have been left alone had he not given presidential impetus to the call for land expropriation without compensation. He angered WMC immensely when he removed Pravin Gordhan from the position of Minister of Finance. The mining sector owners were greatly alarmed by the Mining Charter that sought to bring blacks into mining within twelve months.
The prosecution of both Zuma and Lula must be understood as persecutions by imperialism to set an example about what happens to leaders when they stray from the ten commandments of imperialism.
The forces of radical change have to appreciate these dynamics and organise even harder for the pro-people programmes that these leaders are being persecuted for. It is for this reason that Black First Land First (BLF) is agitating under the slogan, Defend RET! Linked to this defence of RET is the commitment to our ‘Hands off Zuma’ stance. It is up to the revolutionary forces to explain to the people what’s going on and to organise resistance from below through direct action.
Zuma must be defended and his persecutors exposed. The real criminals who steal billions like Markus Jooste, Christo Wiese and Johann Rupert are not prosecuted. Mass murderers like FW de Klerk and Adrian Vlok are peacefully enjoying their retirement. This hypocrisy must be exposed through the radical demands for RET.
Now is the time to organize, not to mourn. BLF stands with Zuma and Lula to the end! RET will be defended.