SACP MEDIA STATEMENT ON DISCUSSION WITH THE ANC
The Augmented Central Committee last year mandated the SACP to convene a National Imbizo as part of our ongoing process to interact with motive forces of the National Democratic Revolution to deeply appreciate the challenges confronting our revolution. We wish to announce that we will be convening the National Imbizo from the 22nd to 24th April, in Gauteng. We extend an invite to all progressive organisations, both political and non-political, with a vested interest in the successful execution of the second more radical phase of our National Democratic Revolution.
Alliance partners, civil society organisation like the South African Council of Churches and other MDM forces have already been issued with an invite to participate in the National Imbizo, including the veterans of the movement and the MK MVA. We invite organisations with an interest to serve in the steering committee to make contact with our offices for necessary discussion and consideration.
Political Discussion between the SACP and the ANC
The SACP and the ANC have been engaged in political discussion in a bilateral sessions aimed at addressing the challenges facing our revolution broadly and our movement specifically. Since last year we have held three official bilateral discussions in various forms.
This last Monday our discussions continued. At the core of our discussions are the strategic questions facing our revolution, the revitalisation of the National Democratic Revolution, rebuilding our connection with the key motives forces of the revolution and dealing with subjective organisational challenges impeding our leadership role in society. It is in this context that the SACP is calling the broader National Imbizo.
Whilst we are committed to creating an enabling climate for our discussions, certain unfortunate events have taken place placing the SACP in an untenable situation wherein it is called on publicly to set the record straight regarding confidential discussions. There has been selective and factional leaking of our discussions breaching the confidentiality that usually accompanies such.
The SACP wishes to state that as the norm, the President informed us of his intention to effect a Cabinet reshuffle, replacing both the Minister and Deputy Minister of Finance. We recorded our objection to the intended reshuffle. However after the meeting an unfortunate selective leak to various media houses has distorted the facts, sought to create a public impression the SACP is firstly responsible for the leaks but secondly has agreed to the intention.
The constitution of the country accords the President of the country a responsibility to appoint Cabinet. The President of the country however is a deployee of the ANC and has to implement ANC mandate. The ANC is in alliance with the SACP, COSATU and SANCO and therefore has an obligation to consult its alliance partners in exercising political power collectively struggled for. The SACP rejects this emerging paradigm on presidential prerogative devoid of political collective oversight. The collective oversight demand of us to be frank with each other since we required to discharge our responsibilities not merely as friends and acquaintances, but as revolutionaries with a purpose to serve and change the lives of our people for the better.
Abuse of state security organs
The SACP is gravely concerned by the growing abuse of state security organs and their meddling in daily political life of the country. We are ware of a rogue intelligence unit that in our view gathers data illegally, produces false reports and feeds them into the political and public domain to smear comrades. We have laid a complaint with the Inspector General and the Minister of State Security who thus far have treated our complaint flippantly. In this regard we have noted a rising apartheid era style intimidation and harassment of activists, SACP members and other ANC members.
A series of suspicious events have been taking place with the latest being a reported harassment of Cde Makhosi Khoza. It appears those with other motives than that detailed in our revolutionary programme wont stop at anything. We have a responsibility not to allow ourselves to be run by gangsters nor degenerate into a gangster state wherein public office bearers and officials cannot discharge their responsibilities without fear or favour.
Statement issued by the SACP, 30 March 2017
