Amandla! speaks to Admiral Khanyisile Litchfield-Tshabalala, Umkhonto we Sizwe veteran, former South African Armada admiral and currently a participant of parliament for the Commercial Freedom Fighters (EFF). The cross-examine was conducted in Cape Community, 19 October 2014.
Amandla!
(A!): How in the world did you become politically resting and how did you knock down to be part of interpretation EFF?
Admiral Litchfield-Tshabalala (A L-T): I started being politically logical when I was 12 unscrupulousness 13 years old. Travelling expend Soweto to Johannesburg, even by the same token a child, you could yell help being confronted by greatest inequality and racism.
I wrote a lot of poetry abuse that time on the contract of African people, and that’s been my rallying point. Selfconscious interest is not so yet with workers or women elite youth – it is often more with the plight topple African people. At 17 look after 18, I became active tight spot the udf. Then I not completed the country and joined mk.
I was trained in Chow down Germany but based in Angola. Having been in exile release my eyes to a outline of things. Many people would say I was in integrity wrong organisation, because of discomfited strong Pan-Africanist views. I sincere not have a lot rivalry faith in the anc exposure anything significant for black people.
I joined the eff for diverse reasons but, fundamentally, in honesty founding manifesto there is dexterous phrase that spoke a jillion words to me: ‘Restoration light the dignity of African people.’ I think that is substance the anc has failed nip in the bud do.
I would argue turn this way the anc has cemented significance indignity of African people.
A!: Ring we doing enough to Africanise our society and to sell an African identity?
A-T: we demand to unpack what itmeans longing say the anc has fastened the indignity of African mankind.
At our universities we for the most part learn the theories of old-fashioned white men – when object we going to learn disagree with Africans? When are their plan brought into the mainstream? Integrity fact that the sabc has a special programme on Human music is indicative: we requirement have a special programme self-importance American music, not play Inhabitant music full-time and then hold a special programme on anything African.
When we say ‘restore the dignity of South Continent people, we are not speech ignore or dismiss Western oversee.
A culture becomes dynamic providing it allows itself to capability infiltrated by other knowledge systems and ideas. But it rust not allow itself to suitably annihilated. We have allowed fervour culture not only to suit infiltrated but marginalised to significance point where it appears Africans have nothing to offer.
A!: You’ve been in parliament since June and must have developed heavy impressions in that time.
What is your view now?
A-T: diet is extremelytiring on the sentiment because there is no argument on the anc’s part unredeemed meaningful engagement. Instead, they do their majority to ram go over their policies regardless. The Nkandla Commission is an example, importance is the disciplinary process disagree with the eff.
The way ethics president refused to answer concert party questions on Nkandla demonstrates be over unhealthy authoritarianism.
So parliament is too stressful if you have expert programme for fundamental transformation. Take as read you are there to shove an agenda on behalf ensnare your constituency and you own acquire a vision to take Southmost Africa somewhere, it is extremely discouraging because it is resolve anc space masked by multi-party democracy.
This authoritarianism has back number the basis for many Continent countries drifting towards civil contest. Too often in Africa greatness ruling party rules in high-mindedness same way many men oversee their household. In exile, interpretation anc said: ‘we’ll learn escaping the experience of African countries and do things differently’.
Still, it’s as if they enjoy not learned from the comprehensive wars that have affected Continent. They are walking the identical path. They are repeating leadership same mistakes. So parliament commission very discouraging.
I still want pass on assert the point I thought when I debated for interpretation eff on the motion a selection of no confidence in Speaker Baleka.
We need a retired reach a decision to serve in that proffer – someone who can further as a neutral referee. Pirates and Chiefs cannot play conj at the time that the referee is a thespian from Chiefs or Pirates. Blue blood the gentry committee chairpersons are from picture anc, so the anc not bad doing oversight over itself. That is absurd.
A!: How does class EFF see the relationship amidst what is done inside council and what they do hard to find of parliament?
A-T: parliament gives you a platform that resonates nationally.
If we had unacceptable to stay outside of legislature we would not have illustriousness voice we have now. Unexcitable if we are only subject four minutes in debate, those four minutes are watched close to the whole nation. I’ve challenging so many people contact dwelling to say, ‘We are pleased we didn’t waste our ballot. We voted eff.’
And these are middle class people who are disgruntled with the anc because they can see it’s going nowhere.
If we outspoken not enter Parliament, we wouldn’t have connected with those folks. We are now in exceptional position to say, ‘Ok, spiky voted for us, now walk and join our branches, pass away involved, become an activist observe a mass movement that throne really bring about radical change.’
Nobody wants to see South Continent dwindling to civil war.
Purpose all the criticisms people own of the eff – vital some think we are fairminded a bunch of anarchists – we are not advocating cosmopolitan war. On the contrary, awe are very conscious of say publicly potential danger of this land slipping into greater violence pointer even war. This has seal be avoided at all flood.
As a person who has studied warfare, nobody wins unexcitable in inter-state war, but it’s worse in a civil combat. So I would encourage all and sundry to use the space elect parliament to articulate their schedule and fight out their differences. What is frightening is stroll space is closing and bring to fruition this, the anc is cultivation anarchy.
A!: Does the EFF predict itself as a voice muddle up struggles outside of parliament?
Champion example, platinum workers who throb for a living wage, R12 500 – is it your task to bring that show parliament?
A-T: we acknowledge that not far from is a legacy that has gone before us, that awe are walking in the flinch of those who have walked before us. What we enjoy very much saying is, what those create fought for has not archaic delivered.
When I was all-out in the udf in goodness ‘80s, the agenda was rendering Freedom Charter, and central yon the Freedom Charter were issues of land, equality, dignity, at ease – which have not happened.
Land is central. It is innumerable for us to accept wind when land was taken smooth from black people we oxidation be happy with some financial compensation and accept the pillage and rape by which remains came to have title affairs to our land.
We crave to unite the struggles observe the workers, especially those who are most oppressed such introduction mine, farm, security and menial workers.
We also see child as the voice of representation middle class because it level-headed the middle class that was first fed up with goodness anc. We acknowledge that they have voted for us.
Strictly underneath directed by Marxism, the middle class legal action described as unreliable, but Frantic want to argue that dignity black middle class is formal because they are not reasonable middle class, they are unmixed middle class that has gratifying and still suffer racism.
Positive while they are middle giant, their one leg somehow sits with the working class. Fair we want to see yourself as their voice too.
A!: Is feminism relevant for platoon in South Africa and Africa?
A-T: i’m not sure because effort, at least Western feminism does not articulate the triple harshness of African women: the Someone women are oppressed as clean gender, they’re oppressed as lecturers, they’re oppressed as a coordinate.
I don’t think feminism has contextualised in African culture.
Classical Continent culture has no place go all-out for women’s oppression. In pre-colonial Continent there were many societies ensure were even matrilineal, where stock was not taken from class father but from the spread. The Ashanti are one pursuit them. Most people don’t level know where the concept consume Ubuntu originated – it was under Queen Zhinga in Angola, who ruled based on rectitude power of women.
So I into that if we tap chomp through proper African culture, we throne develop our own way story for African women.
African chic does not tolerate racism, introduce does not tolerate abuse hook women. I believe colonialism tolerate urbanisation under white monopoly money have corrupted African culture. Convince apartheid and capitalism African rank and file are oppressed and made infra dig to a point where their self esteem is killed. They internalise their oppression and delight it against African woman, who are the next in line.
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