The dangerous myth of Thabo Mbeki's revolutionary image

The wire article discusses the need to dispel the myth surrounding Thabo Mbeki's revolutionary image. It highlights how Mbeki's reputation as a revolutionary thinker, bolstered by the massive political capital he gained, is contradicted when his actual political actions are scrutinized. The article notes that Mbeki's policy of Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) was pro-monopoly-capital and pro-white-business, often referred to as Thatcherite, and that he defended its perpetrators.

Despite Mbeki's rhetoric of the "African Renaissance," his economic policies served the interests of white capital. The author argues that Mbeki's commitment to the African Renaissance was an attempt to maintain South Africa's integration into global capital markets. The article criticizes Mbeki's failure to support land reform for black South Africans and his opposition to the victims of apartheid-era violence, which led to his stance against reparations claims.

It also points out Mbeki's denial of the link between HIV and AIDS, which contributed to the decline in life expectancy for black South Africans. The author concludes that Mbeki's actions, rather than his rhetoric, demonstrate that he was not a defender of the revolution but a proponent of the status quo.