Black First Land First (BLF) turns 4 today. Here’s some general knowledge questions and answers about the organization:
Questions
1. What is BLF’s Philosophy of Liberation?
2. What is BLF’s vision?
3. What is BLF’s minimum program?
4. What is BLF’s desired end goal?
5. What is the objective of BLF?
6. Who is the enemy of Black people?
7. What about gender relations?
8. Why does BLF want to go to parliament? Is parliament not a bourgeois institution?
9. Once in parliament, will BLF not be fat cats?
10. What will BLF do for Black unity?
Answers
1. BLF’s philosophy of liberation is Black Consciousness as principally developed by Steve Bantu Biko, Pan-Africanism as principally developed by Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe and the leadership ethos as elaborated by Thomas Sankara.
2. Black people must come first in all areas of life. White people, if at all, will benefit as a byproduct of blacks being served first.
3. Radical Economic Transformation (RET), which puts land first and has the best possibility to unite all black people irrespective of party political affiliation.
4. To usher in a Black socialist society where exploitation and oppression cease to exist. The wealth of the nation shall be equitably shared.
5. BLF is a Black Consciousness organization. It’s objective is accordingly to struggle for the emancipation of black people.
6. White Monopoly Capital (WMC) which is a system of power which benefits all white people and disadvantages all Blacks.
7. South Africa is a racist, capitalist and patriarchal society shaped by white supremacy. The question of women’s liberation is central to the emancipatory process, but there can be no ending patriarchy outside of ending white supremacy itself.
8. Yes, parliament is a bourgeois institution, but it can be used to assist the revolutionary process in two main respects:
i) To provide a platform to agitate for radical proposals and educating the masses.
ii) To provide much needed resources to fund the revolutionary movement outside parliament. In approach, BLF holds that we must be “anti-politics politically engaged”, meaning we must use politics to end politics.
9. BLF Members of Parliament (MPs) will not be paid a salary which is much higher than the Marikana workers minimum wage of R12 500. BLF will use the rest of the salaries to build the movement outside parliament.
10. BLF will work to unite all black political parties on the basis of Radical Economic Transformation (RET). We shall strive to set up a non-partisan parliamentary caucus for all pro-RET MPs.
Know your BLF.
Issued by Black First Land First, National Coordinating Committee of (BLF NCC)
14 May 2020
Contact Details
Black First Land First Mail: [email protected]