The Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front (ZACF, also known as ZabFront or simply as Zabalaza), formerly known as the Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Federation (ZabFed), is an especifista-Platformist anarchist political organisation in South Africa, based primarily in Johannesburg. The word "zabalaza" means "struggle" in isiZulu and isiXhosa. Initially, as ZabFed, it was a federation of existing collectives, mainly in Soweto and Johannesburg. It is now a unitary organisation based on individual applications for membership, describing itself as a "federation of individuals".
The ZACF is rooted in the The Organisational Platform of the General Union of Anarchists (Draft), by the Dielo Truda group, but does not accept the document uncritically; it is also influenced by especifismo. The ZACF is also inspired by the pamphlet Towards a Fresh Revolution, written by the Friends of Durruti group of CNT members during the Spanish Revolution, as well as by Georges Fontenis' post-war pamphlet Manifesto of Libertarian Communism.
ZACF members are expected to be committed, convinced anarchist communist militants who must be in general agreement with the platformist principles of theoretical and tactical unity, collective responsibility, and federalism. Its activities include study and theoretical development, anarchist agitation and participation in class struggle activism.
As a platformist-especifist organisation, the ZACF subscribes to the idea of an "active minority". This means that the ZACF, unlike certain anarcho-syndicalist organisations, does not seek to build purely anarchist mass movements or unions; nor does it seek to turn existing social movements into anarchist-only movements. Rather, in the tradition of social insertion championed by the FARJ (Federação Anarquista do Rio de Janeiro, or the Anarchist Federation of Rio de Janeiro), the ZACF works within existing movements in order to fight for the "leadership of anarchist ideas" and the implementation of anarchist principles within such movements. This is because the ZACF holds that the strength of trade unions, social movements and other organisations of the working class lies in their ability to unite the greatest number of workers regardless of their political, religious or ideological affiliations.
Read more about Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front: History, Links To Other Organisations, Publications, Zabalaza Books
Famous quotes containing the words anarchist, communist and/or front:
“The anarchist and the Christian have a common origin.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“The terrible thing is that one cannot be a Communist and not let oneself in for the shameful act of recantation. One cannot be a Communist and preserve an iota of one’s personal integrity.”
—Milovan Djilas (b. 1911)
“Culture is a sham if it is only a sort of Gothic front put on an iron building—like Tower Bridge—or a classical front put on a steel frame—like the Daily Telegraph building in Fleet Street. Culture, if it is to be a real thing and a holy thing, must be the product of what we actually do for a living—not something added, like sugar on a pill.”
—Eric Gill (1882–1940)