“A dog always chases a moving car”

Let’s situate things into perspective and try to contextualize them for those who seemingly do not understand the existence of SASCO. Firstly the South African Students Congress is a unitary organization which was formed in 1991 from a merger of 2 students’ liberation organizations, NUSAS and SANSCO. SASCO is an organization with a proud history of struggle, having always cherished a vision of non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa that is free from poverty, corruption and diseases. Similarly it even continues to fight for non-racial, non-sexist, democratic higher & further education and training systems, which will guarantee opportunities for its recipients and the country at large.

SASCO is not like some other organizations (pasma) fashioned because there are SRC elections to be contested. Like father like son, pasma and pac. Since the pathogenesis of pasma in the corridors of Dos Santos (UWC RES) in 1999, it has always been popularly known for its singing and retrogressive criticisms towards SASCO and the ANC led government nothing more. Like pac, they are formation of traditionally Xhosa driven factionalists’ organization with no space for democracy and stick to its patriarchal state. Form its origins; one would hunt in vain for a consistent and relatively coherent pasma ideological perspective, let alone a political programme.

Perhaps one wonders why they call SASCO, “ama-Charter”. It’s because they have always tried to identify themselves as “Africanists” – “Africa for Africans”. That was the basis of their “Africanism” that the factionalist founders of pac criticized the ANC for non-racialism and the Freedom Charter and the vision that South Africa belongs to everyone who lives in it. I am sure even students wonder why it is only SASCO that is always making calls of educational transformation with its allies of the Progressive Youth Alliance which are ANC Youth League and Young Communist League of South Africa. Their (pasma) role in society besides hauling, is to seek where “Azania” is and they have been doing that for the past 8 years of their existence compared to 16 years of SASCO. Recently some of you would noticed the President of SASCO and the President of South African Union of Students (SAUS) on A’skhulume (SABC 1) making a meaning full debate and contribution to the transformation of education in South Africa as a whole not only make noise in pentech.

SASCO’s founders were among those who fought for this country, not for their sectarian interest but understanding that they are part of society that is struggling to build new virtues and values. If also one takes a closer look at their (pasma) banner, it has a slogan saying “Education is not a privilege but a fundamental right”. But they forgot to quote Dr. Nelson Mandela. If pasma is not a nation socialist education, then why can’t they join SASCO every year when it marches for FREE EDUCATION to parliament? They want to lead a socialist revolution on their own as students without working class leadership. As Marxists, Cde Lenin in his writings teaches us that there is no class capable of leading a revolution without the organized working class.


In closing, SASCO consciously and correctly chose to be a revolutionary and militant student organization which aims inter alia to organize students to play a meaningful role in the transformation of South African Society, the Southern African Region, the African continent and the international community.
Hence for this particular responsibility and others, SASCO chose Marxism-Leninism as a revolutionary theory that will guide the organizations deeds. Furthermore, our role in society is not to oversee who goes to Mzoli and who does not. Now let us engage in a robust political, intellectual debate and leave politics of Mzoli, President Lukhanyo, Mr. Malinge, Mr. Daniels, Babies etc. Perhaps this might give a clear ideological direction to our CPUT student leadership. Let’s start contextualizing things politically and stop behaving like these imperialist who seek to benefit from the revolution and start fighting the “Colonialism of the Special Type” which is the system not the SRC.

“These are the views of an individual and have nothing to do with SASCO as an organization. I write this on my personal capacity. So if one needs to engage please do so with the author.”

I remain a revolutionarist,

Sive aka Madala