By Dr Cosmas Musumali,
The statements alluded to the Secretary General of MDC points to a political entity and a bunch of people that are ideologically dishonest and may be even bankrupt.
Talking about pursuing practices that borrow from both capitalism and socialism is not in the realm of ideology. For example, all capitalist countries, including the USA, apply some selected socialist principles in certain key areas of society or under crises situation – such as the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. But this is not the same as saying they pursue a socialist ideology. Neither is their overall goal the building of a socialist society! Far from it, socialist principles and practices are selectively applied to stabilise the system and provide a human face to an evil system.
The overall goal of bourgeois political parties is to entrench the capitalist system in which capitalists, the most economic powerful elite, have hegemony over the social, cultural, economic and political life of the respective countries.
In the same vein, a socialist country can never be pure socialist! By definition, a socialist society is transitional. It is built in a capitalist dominated environment. It has therefore to socialise specific aspects of life whilst others remain capitalist. A pure socialist society is therefore a misnomer – it would have to be called a communist society.
Today, we do not have a single country that has attained the status of a communist society. China is a socialist country whilst embracing aspects of capitalism. The political party in power has an overall goal to build a socialist and eventually a communist society. By allowing aspects of capitalism to grow, the Communist Party of China has not abrogated it’s overall goal at all. In a world dominated by capitalism, some spheres of life will for a long time to come still embrace capitalist principles and practices.
The sphere of ideology looks at the bigger questions of organising a class based society and it’s inherent contradictions. In a class society, the class that owns the critical means of production has huge control of the economic base. It also logically ensures that a supportive social, cultural, educational, legal, administrative, political and security superstructure emerge that protects it’s economic class interests. Understanding this interface between the economic base and superstructure is key to the positioning of ideology.
Socialists are honest about whose class interests they represent. The mission is to end class based exploitation of labour by capital. This is only possible through a revolutionary transformation where ownership of the economic base will be dominated by the working masses themselves. Where the masses get to have a dominant say about the management of their natural resources. Where the masses regain their human dignity from the slave-like conditions under which they live and work today!
To understand what the founders of the MDC believe in, one has to look at what each one of them has said and written over the past years! They are all unrepentant capitalist promoters! So why not just be upfront with it? Why hide under some eclectic and contradictory statements? The simple answer is that its is good PR to talk about a middle of the road approach. In a society where the masses of our people are marginalised and impoverished by the day, the MDC stand is tantamount to betrayal of the masses wanting transformative change.
The MDC is nothing other than a bunch of frustrated petty bourgeois politicians seeking for a piece of the evil capitalist cake.
The Author is the First Vice-President and General Secretary of Zambia’s Opposition Socialist Party
Musumali you are just an old socialist dinosaur demagogue hankering for a non exustent utopia
Ma opposition yamu zambia kuwayawayafye
Is Musumali sure that his ideology is what Zambians want? Politics is about being relevant and responsive to people’s needs. MDC has offered Zambians a choice and that’s what’s important. China is a ruthless capitalist country, the only aspect of communism is how the ruling class chooses its leaders and how it clamps down any dissent. China is a dangerous predator
Is Kampyongo arrested yet? What about Lusambo, is investigated for the failed Copperbelt concert?
Who cares about Musumali, he is behaving like a typical Zambian, he don’t like Mutati for no reason at all.
Aba nabeve, kwwf.
Dreaming of communism in this day and age.
Ah.
Tell them papa
@Ayattolah, China Communist Party is evil, there is no doubt about it. Communists talk of workers to use them and manipulate masses for their personal comfort. Look at palace Putin lives in with maximum security and wine he drinks every day!
Look at Xi’s lifestyle. His bungalow is huge. His servants who are supposed to be his masters under communist Regime live on paltry salary while the rogue Xi wastes millions every year on his concubines, drinks and parties.
The ideology of capitalism , communist/socialist , feudalism have to answer the question, who controls the means of production and owns capital and what extent are citizens playing in wealth generation? The writer to introspect if he can provide milk to every family member in a community which cannot help him look after cattle everyday.
Musumali lives in hallucination. Will vote for a devil than to ever vote for communists. Socialists are communists? You lose my respect right on this statement.
SOCIALIST RHETORIC BS NONSENSE
PUT MMEMBE IN POWER AND ZAMBIA WILL BE WORSE THAN ZIMBABWE
AND NO FREDOM
SOCIALIST RHETORIC BS NONSENSE
PUT MMEMBE IN POWER AND ZAMBIA WILL BE WORSE THAN ZIMBABWE
AND NO FREDOM!
Have no admiration for Mmembe at all. He brought us where we are today with his Post Newspaper by supporting a devilish PF which has consumed him as well. PF could have never been in power if it was not for this man, am sure he knows.
Communism, another borrowed ideology from the west, yes, Karl Marx was German not Chinese. Why don’t we go back to where we were as Africans before the colonialists invaded us. Everyone in the village knew his role. The lazy ones were passed over. The infirm were looked after. The playing field was level. Even our chiefs took part in the economic activities of the village. No one was favoured and no one was discriminated against and marginalised. Those who had much shared with those who had less knowing that ‘munzako akapya ndevu umudzimize, mumawa azadzimya zako.’ It is that simple really.