DECLARATION OF KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCIAL ALLIANCE SUMMIT HELD ON THE 20TH - 22ND JULY 2012
We, delegates from all formations of the Alliance in the province gathered at this Provincial Summit to assess the progress we have made on the execution of the National Democratic Revolution. We have gathered at the Summit representing SANCO, COSATU, SACP and ANC, together with Leagues, MKMVA, SASCO and COSAS.
We concur with the National Alliance Summit Programme which highlight that: "since the December 2007 ANC National Conference the subjective conditions for a more united and effective Alliance have been established. It is absolutely imperative that we do not squander the possibilities of further improvements to the current situation. We all agree that, if the aspirations of the great majority of South Africans are to be achieved we must; in action, advance, deepen, and defend our Alliance's strategic and programmatic unity".
We have gathered here after all components of the Alliance have undergone the programme of convening their Provincial Conferences and Congresses. We appreciate unity that prevailed during all these conferences.
We believe the current political environment which is characterised by high sense of unity should be effectively utilised to advance the programme of furthering the objectives of the NDR. This opportunity should not be missed at all and should it be missed we will all regret. Ours is UNITY IN ACTION. Therefore this unity must find expression through visible and clear joint programme of action of the Alliance.
We have taken stoke of developments that define the current global and domestic political environment. We congratulate Cde Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on her elections as the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. We firmly believe that her experience, skills and courage will help the AU to lead the agenda for a total liberation and emancipation of the African Continent as a whole. We call on the ANC and our government to provide all political and organisational support to make her mandate succeed.
We also call on the ANC to strengthen its international programme by define its international perspective and further strengthen party to party relations. This will in turn complement the work our government is doing and the tasks given to Cde Nkosazane Dlamini-Zuma.
We have also noted the on-going crisis of the serious violence and killing in Syria, we join a call that the UN and all other involved bodies should work to ensure that such violence come to an end with immediate effect.
We are impressed by the great support the African National Congress is gaining in the province. However, we note with serious concern the assassinations of the ANC leaders in some regions within the province. These assassinations have affected the organisation severely and robbed us of capable cadres of the movement. In this regard we call, on the government to establish a National Intervention Team to investigate these assassinations. Such Team should investigate all political related cases that have taken place in the province, include the assassinations of leaders of other organisations in the province.
As we emerge from this Provincial Summit, we are determined to put our collective efforts and energies to make the Alliance work better. We appreciate that while we enjoy good relations especially at the provincial level, we still need to ensure effective implementation of the Alliance Joint Programme of Action. We therefore resolved that the following areas should constitute the main trust of the Alliance programme of action:
Strengthening of the Alliance:
We will work together to enhance the functioning of the Alliance, especially at the regional and branches levels. This should include formalising Alliance meetings and engaging in joint programmes and campaigns.
The strengthening of the Alliance also requires us to deepen the joint programme of building a strong cadreship of the movement. We therefore agreed to establish an Alliance Provincial Political Education Commission, which will work under the ANC, to develop and coordinate joint political education programme. This programme should focus on ideological and political development of the leadership, members and public representatives of the movement. This programme should also build the capacity of our cadres to discharge their duties in all areas of their deployment and should as well serve to deepen political consciousness and political morality.
We will also embark on vigorous "KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOUR CAMPAIGN", through our structures and volunteers, to ensure that the movement address the immediate and long term needs of our people. In doing this, we will also strive to build strong relations with all progressive civic organisations, including strengthening our working relations with strategic sectors such as the intelligentsia, various professionals bodies, traditional and religious sectors.
We take wisdom from the words of Cde Moses Kotane, that: "A Country, a Movement that does not value its youth deserves no future". We note of challenges that characterises the Progressive Youth Alliance in the province. We mandate the Provincial Political Council and the Provincial Secretariat to work on the programme of refocusing the youth movement to its strategic tasks of mobilising and championing the interests of the youth and students. The immediate task of this programme should seek to resolve the tensions and power struggles among the components of the Progressive Youth Alliance and ensure that they work together as critical components of the Mass Democratic Movement.
We strongly resolved that the Alliance should take full responsibility of ensuring that the PYA works better. Besides focussing the PYA to its immediate tasks, the Alliance should ensure that members of the PYA are subjected to a strict political education programme that will nature them to be future leaders of our movement and the society.
Building Good Governance and Capacity of the state to ensure delivery:
As the summit we take note of the progress and commitment of the government to ensure transformation and development of the society. In this regard, we agreed that the second phase of transition will require a maximum dedication of all in ensure radical development.
Such programme will never succeed if we do not eliminate challenges of corruption and nepotism that continues to affect the functioning of the state. We, therefore, re-affirm the resolution of the ANC 2011 Provincial Local Government Summit that the ANC must establish the Integrity and Ethics Commission which will look on the conduct of the cadres of the organisation, and investigate any allegations of corruption, fraud and nepotism level against any leader or deployee of the movement.
We are of firm belief that the government need to build its internal capacity to render services to the people. This will on one hand save state resources that are wasted through privatisation and tendering system; and on the other hand it will provide decent and sustainable jobs opportunity for our people. Thus, government must build its capacity and render services on its own.
We declare the 2013, as the year of service delivery wherein our government will ensure speedy and maximum delivery to the people. This should focus on basic needs such as water, electricity as well as education, health, agrarian and infrastructure development, especially in townships and rural areas. We mandate the ANC to convene the Service Delivery Summit which will consolidate the Alliance approach on the provision of service delivery to the people.
Our Movement and Government should find ways of building strong public servants who are loyal and dedicated to the cause of the struggle. Such servants should be beyond tendencies of corruption and nepotism. Such servants should be steeped in the culture of provision services even beyond the hours of duty.
In this regards, government and labour movement should find ways of ensuring that challenges that hampers the working relationship between civil servants and government do not affect services to the people. This includes disputes over remuneration and other labour related matters. In this regards, as the Alliance we will continue to engage on what define the relationship between the Progressive Unions and the Democratic Government.
In that same understanding, we support the resolution of the ANC 4th National Policy Conference on the need for the National Social Compact which will define tasks and role of all stakeholders responsible for the socio-economic development of our country.
Fight against Crime and Corruption:
The need for more involvement of the community in the fight against crime can never be underestimated. As the Alliance, we will embark on the intensive programme of forming street committees and further encourage participation of people in the Community Safety Forums.
In building moral regeneration, we will partner will religious bodies and embark on campaign to inculcate the values of Ubuntu.
Working through the ANC Integrity Commission, we will fight to eliminate all elements of corruption and further instil the ethical behaviour among the cadreship and deployees of the movement.
Gender Equality:
We once again commit ourselves to fight gender based violence and ensure empowerment of women. We will strive to ensure that all cases of the abuse of women and children are speedy addressed. As the summit, we are of the belief that the struggle for gender equality should not only left to women but should be led by all, including male cadres.
Economic transformation:
As the Alliance Provincial Summit, we re-affirm the resolution of the ANC National Policy Conference that our country is entering the second phase of transition, a phase that should be defined by radical programme of economic transformation. This transformation programme should focus in particular on emancipation of the general masses of our people from poverty. The economic growth should, therefore, goes with distribution.
We call on government to focus on empowering our people through co-operatives and SMMES, this should include capacity building, access to financial support and ensuring sustainable opportunities.
As the Alliance, we will also convene a Provincial Economic Summit to develop a comprehensive economic development and transformation programme. This summit should take place before the end of this year.
Mass mobilisation in support of Service Delivery:
We will embark on a string of campaigns to mobilise communities in support of service delivery. This campaign will include a Provincial March in support of services such as National Health Insurance, the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV and other services. This campaign will also serves as a call to our deployees and public servants to ensure quick response to issues raise by the people.
As we adjourn this summit, we declare the upcoming period as the period of unity in action - a period characterised by a programmatic based relationship; Key among its tasks is to achieve the above tasks and all resolutions of this summit. We also declare to work together and embark on the campaign for a decisive ANC victory in the 2014 National Government Elections. For us the 2014 Elections Campaign starts now and can never be postponed.
All Power to the People!!!
Amandla!!!
Statement issued by the ANC KwaZulu-Natal, July 23 2012
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