SACP Western Cape responds to the so-called 86 prominent Capetonians  

The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Western Cape Province has noted the statement released this week by the so-called 86 prominent Capetonians including Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge (Executive Director, Embrace Dignity). The SACP acknowledges the role that some, but by no means all, of the so-called 86 prominent Capetonians have played in the struggle for democracy. But their contribution as individuals is not more important, neither is it more prominent, than the collective contribution of the masses of our people organised and led by an array of revolutionary forces that constitute our national liberation movement with the African National Congress as the leading formation in alliance with the Communist Party and the progressive trade union movement.

The contribution by the masses of our people in the struggle to overthrow colonialism and apartheid, and to fight for democracy, is unmatched by any standard. No single group of individuals in any city, town and village, who think that they are more prominent than the masses of our people, has delivered us from colonialism and apartheid. Rather, it is the masses of our people as the main motive force of change who made and continue make history in bringing about and advancing our democratic transition.     

The SACP has noted with concern the bourgeoning tendency of elite personas making use of their "stature" to propagate disinformation in defence of liberals and pseudo-liberals. Without gerrymandering around the issue, it would be wrong if the SACP did not openly declare, without fear or favour, that this tendency has tacitly professed its support for the DA ("Democratic Alliance") in the province and possibly elsewhere.

The SACP is dismayed that some of the so-called 86 prominent Capetonians were influential participants during the mass-based demonstrations of antipathy against Apartheid. To revise one's historical allegiance to the workers and the poor and their perpetual struggle to acquire basic services is a particularly peculiar alteration of stance.  

Comprehending past and present social mobilisation and mass action, as well as the recent riots and looting in the Western Cape, must be analysed in the context of a free and democratic society. A basic understanding of class antagonisms existing in this country should assist society in grasping the fundamentals of these occurrences: division and stratification of our society into classes, the commodification, and the rampant exploitation of labour, all of which are accepted as a "norm", bear the onus of these recent events. Our intention is not to condone anarchy, but to illustrate that applying a historical and factual approach to the circumstances would assist South Africans to develop a greater understanding of the motive forces behind the actions of and reactions to mass action.

The masses that took part in the peaceful march in Cape Town on 30 October 2013 could not have possibly been overwhelmingly influenced by a handful of "ringleaders". This display of majoritarian democracy by community members was unfortunately overshadowed by the actions of a minority of anarchists. The legitimate and perpetual concerns regarding lack of services and poor service delivery were the mobilising banner behind this march, a constant struggle to survive and cope with minimum socio-economic deliverables affect communities on a daily basis. This should be expected to be the underlying driver of the mass actions that are on the rise in the Western Cape, particularly from the working class and poor communities that are being marginalised by the DA administration.  

The rights contained in both the Constitution and the Freedom Charter are what communities across the Western Cape are mobilising for. This is not urban in character, the farm workers strikes and protests by working class and poor communities highlight the growing trend of dissatisfaction in the province, regardless of the propaganda that the Western Cape is doing well compared to other provinces.

If a level of frankness and honesty are to be applied in an analysis of the growing mass actions in the Western Cape then highlighting an opaque misunderstanding of realities is of the utmost importance. The statement by the so-called 86 prominent Capetonians exhibits a tacit manipulation to influence people's historical concerns by "tugging on their heart-strings". To make matters worse, these elite personas and their sympathisers are blatantly aided by an anti-working class and anti-ANC-led alliance media which stimulates a narrow representation of realities and ultimately loses the very essence of objectivity and non-partisanship.

Many of the DA provincial government officials who constantly echo contempt for the organised community members of Khayelitsha, Phillipi, Gugulethu, etc., and at the same stroke purport to be champions of equitable distribution, have yet to experience the day-to-day struggle of the working class and poor in the Western Cape. The DA's inability to comprehend the fundamentals of this class struggle and the resultant socio-economic inequalities has ignited a groundswell of frustration amongst the working class and poor communities.

Communities have been bottlenecked into desperation by the DA's unashamed focus on selective-class-race-service-delivery, neglecting the most vulnerable citizens of the province.  Participating in and organising a march with the ultimate goal of allowing one's voice to be heard is not a political vehicle to destabilise the province, or a pre-election ploy to garner support, it is, rather, a democratic means enshrined in both the Freedom Charter and the Constitution to promote a visible and massed-based antipathy at the lack of basic services.

Looting and anarchy should be analysed with historical reference to the riots that took place in many towns across the United Kingdom (2011) and elsewhere. The occurrences that transpired in London, Manchester, Birmingham etc., created many speculators with regards to the riots ignition. Liberals and pseudo-liberals alike in that country pinpointed a dark and ominous third force as the prime culprit mobiliser and agitator. More progressive thinkers delved into class and societal analysis of the riots, suggesting that communities driven by an apathetic spark ignited the streets in protest of the broadening gap of the haves and have-nots. The rioting and looting that took place was a resultant causal link between grievances and lack of leadership as is, in our view, the case with Western Cape provincial government.

Therefore a mass-based protest regarding subjective, intricate and sensitive issues cannot simply be analysed through a six page denunciation of the national government or through the review of CCTV cameras by JP Smit. In addition, it is worrisome that the so-called 86 prominent Capetonians would make a hyperbolic and rash comparison of the recent civil protests in the Western Cape and the post-election violence in Nairobi (2007-2008) that left 800-1500 dead and over 180 000 people displaced.

The SACP fully comprehends the complexities of our society: the prevalent repercussions that exist due to the legacy of colonialism and apartheid, the exploitative and inhumane excesses of monopoly capital and its ideologues, the current juncture of liberal and pseudo-liberal elitism and finally a total onslaught strategy of misinformation by the media. The provincial government under the administration of the DA has failed to address the dire concerns raised by the people and leading to protests.

The DA simply disregards people's demands with a preordained air of authority and a dismissive anti-working class agenda based on racism. The SACP would like to appeal to the workers and the poor in the province: Be vigilant of the tendency to demonise our struggle for an equal society, continue the mobilisation and organisation of communities based on collective democratic structures, maintain the discipline and dedication inherently cultivated in our movement, and most importantly, unite the peoples camp to achieve the aims and principles set out in the Freedom Charter.

Statement issued by Khaya Magaxa, SACP Western Cape Provincial Secretary, November 29 2013

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