Response to the ANC’s extended NWC allegations

Johannesburg, 5 April 2017

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has noted the statement of the extended National Working Committee of the African National Congress (ANC) as communicated at a press briefing today, Wednesday 5 April. The ANC was the first organisation that the SACP officially informed of our Party’s decision that it was time for President Zuma to resign. The SACP informed the ANC before communicating the decision publicly, further stating that we were available for a meeting on the matter. The SACP welcomes the ANC’s acceptance of our Party’s proposal for a meeting on the decision.

But it is completely unacceptable to scapegoat the SACP for the lack of consultation by President Jacob Zuma.

He reshuffled the Cabinet last week without even consulting the ANC itself and not only Alliance partners on the other positions that were affected and names that were “decided elsewhere” as confirmed by ANC officials in response to is unilateralism.

The SACP rejects as baseless the allegation that the Party leaked information from its bilateral engagements held last week with the ANC and thereby breached confidentiality commitment. On the contrary, and as we have said, the leak clearly came from the ranks of the ANC, and sought to portray the SACP as if the Party had agreed to the reshuffling of the former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, whereas that was untrue.

It was in fact the leak that compelled the SACP to convene a press briefing on Thursday, 30 March to set the record straight. This good decision to set the record straight was taken in good faith because the SACP does not communicate by means of leaks.  The SACP will engage further with the ANC on this matter.

Statement issued by the SACP, 5 April 2017