Communists should walk the talk

AZIKIWE Xashimba of Ezibeleni writes: I refer to this statement of the deputy minister of the presidency Buti Manamela when he said in parliament recently that DA leader Mmusi Maimane “is a puppet of the whites just like Mr Obama in the USA.”

I would like to remind Manamela that if one is a real revolutionary he must talk and live like one.

A real communist will not allow himself to be co-opted by the bourgeois government in all aspects of his political life.

He will not lavishly enjoy the luxuries of material possessions, i.e. expensive cars, staying in mansions fit for a despotic king and wearing the most expensive clothes while the masses are suffering and poor.

A capitalist lifestyle is in contrast to a socialist or communist lifestyle.

In the USA there are two major political parties – the Democrats and the Republicans. If you are an active citizen of the USA you are bound to join either of these, irrespective of race. The president of the USA is Barack Obama, who has been chosen to fill this position on merit by all the people of his country. He represents the aspirations and interests of them all.

In terms of international affairs, he represents his country on equal terms, irrespective of race. Reverend Jesse Jackson stood for the presidency of the USA on the ticket of the Democrats because he was a citizen of the country and would represent the interests and aspirations of the people of that country, irrespective of race. He is known as a strong campaigner for human rights in the USA and the world.

The tendency of political foes to use the race card on their opponents when they take a leap forward in politics and assume bold leadership in order to chart the way forward for the country must stop.

History tells us that the founders of communism Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx were dedicated to their cause in all aspects. They lived what they taught – practically and theoretically. They never indulged in pompous and luxurious lifestyles. They did this to advance their political cause – by example.

The people of this country are very poor, they are suffering and they are despondent. There is a dire need for a change of the status quo and it is therefore mind-boggling to see politicians being co-opted into the bourgeois lifestyle and defending this kind of diabolical behaviour at the expense of the toiling masses.