SACP, Limpopo: Augmented PEC Statement

The SACP held an augmented Provincial Executive Committee on the 26^th of January 2013 at Big Ben Lodge in Polokwane. This meeting comprised of the top officials in all the five districts and the Provincial Working Committee of the YCLSA. The aim was among others, to develop a programme of action for 2013 in line with the national programme of the Augmented Central Committee held in November 2012. The theme of the Augmented PEC was "2013-The Year of the District" and it received a political report by the Provincial Secretary and a political input from the Convener of the CC deployees in Limpopo, cde Charles Setsubi.

The discussions and resolutions taken had a specific focus on the political work of the Party, the Alliance and indeed the state of governance in Limpopo. The Party noted sudden and opportunistic gestures that are being made by the PEC of the ANC in the province by calling for "unity" after they were dealt a heavy blow in the ANC's 53^rd elective conference. We have always opined that all campaigns to undermine President Zuma's leadership and indeed the ANC National leadership were launched from Limpopo. Hence the Limpopo ANC provincial leadership was most vicious in purging anybody who challenged its corrupt agenda in the province.

The SACP for its part has maintained a consistent and coherent stance against this alien practices which we coined the ‘new tendency'. This resulted in the three Alliance partners (the SACP, Cosatu and Sanco) in the province being ostracized from participation in ANC activities by the provincial ANC leadership. In fact, following the 7^th Provincial Conference of the ANC in Limpopo that was held in December 2011; renowned for being marred by controversy including vote rigging, the new PEC had completely failed to lead and unite the province.

Instead they propagated the following alien practices in the ANC:

• In the lead up to 53^rd Elective Conference of the ANC the Provincial leadership chose to communicate only with their faction, which was in support of removal of president Zuma; hence the problem of registration and inclusion of delegates who were never elected in any branch general meeting of the ANC.
• Adoption of formal resolution to support Julius Malema, at the time when he was already expelled from the ANC for bringing the organization into disrepute and sowing division within its ranks. The PEC went as far as attending court proceedings whenever Malema appeared for corruption charges in the Polokwane Magistrate Court; in deliberate defiance and undermining of national ANC leadership.
• Sowing divisions among ANC membership in the province by calling for the removal of all NEC members who were elected in the 52^nd National Conference who originate from Limpopo because they did not support the ‘new tendency' but defended the movement against ill-discipline and factionalism that became a culture in this province.

The Augmented PEC is of the conviction that for genuine and everlasting unity to exist there must be efforts to build it within the ANC itself as a leader of the alliance and society as whole. Therefore we recommend that the following actions be undertaken by the NEC of the ANC as a precursor to unity in the province:

• Dissolution of the ANC Leadership Structures in the Limpopo province including its Leagues
• Immediate resignation of the Premier of the Limpopo province Mr. Charlie Mathale before the next State of the Province Address.
• Moratorium on senior government appointments as a way of guaranteeing friends of the Mathale Administration survival beyond their term of office.
• Implementation of directives by the Public Protector in her report entitled: "On the Point of Tenders" by the MEC for Transport

This will go a long way in undoing corruption in the province and rebuilding the tattered image of the ANC especially on the eve of the 2014 general elections

As a rural province, Limpopo cannot afford to be weakened by corrupt practices because it is the poor and the working class that bear the brunt of this corruption. We commend the bold decision that was taken by the Board of Directors for Great North Transport to force Mr Tau Letebele to resign as the CEO due to the cloud that was hanging on his head as former head of Provincial Department of Transport.

Finally, the Augmented PEC noted the visit by the ANC NWC to embark on a fact-finding mission where they engaged with all branches of the ANC through the Regional General Councils on Sunday, the 27^th of January 2013. We fully support this move by the newly elected leadership and we believe it will go a long way in redressing the political, organizational and governance setbacks in our province. End!

Statement issued by Gilbert Kganyago, SACP Limpopo Provincial Secretary, January 29 2013

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