Deployment of comrade Thoko Didiza marks a decisive turning point towards a two thirds-majority electoral victory for the ANC

21 June 2016

The South African Communist Party in Gauteng convened a special Provincial Working Committee (PWC) meeting today to reflect on the timely intervention in the City of Tshwane by the African National Congress (ANC).

Towards a two thirds majority for the ANC

SACP Gauteng unconditionally welcomes the decisive intervention by the ANC by appointing Cde Thoko Didiza as a candidate Mayor for the City Tshwane.

We believe this intervention builds a much more needed momentum and turning point for the ANC to secure a two-thirds majority victory in the Metro.

The decision lays a solid ground to unite all members of the ANC-led Alliance in the region. We believe whilst Cde Thoko Didiza will work within a collective, she however brings with her a massive wealth of experience, maturity and capacity to unite all the motive forces of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) in the region.

Pushing back twin dangers of corporate capture and factionalism

We firmly believe that this well-timed intervention will also push back the frontiers of corporate capture of the municipality, looting, corruption and deep rooted factionalism that has been growing over the last three years.

We congratulate our primary, time tested political ally, the ANC for a well thought out intervention that will protect the municipality against highly determined forces of counter revolution. Included in these, are some of the opposition parties sponsored by Imperialism as the historical enemy of the ANC.  

SACP Gauteng commits itself to working with Cde Thoko Didiza and the collective of the alliance to deliver an ANC two-thirds majority, which would have been impossible without this historic intervention.

We are also pleased that the overwhelming majority of the working class and ordinary people have welcomed this intervention, except for a few clearly orchestrated and isolated acts of violence.

Sponsored acts of Violence and intimidation

We strongly condemn the acts of sheer criminality, violence and destruction. We believe that these acts are clearly planned, coordinated and financially sponsored.

We, therefore, dismiss with contempt any insinuations and ill-informed assertions that this renewed wave of violence constitute acts of spontaneity of the masses.

We believe that this lumpen, backward and uncultured acts violence are well-planned purely to intimidate Cde Thoko Didiza. We are aware that the City of Tshwane has been plagued by a series of acts of violence, intimidation and threats wildly reported in the media in the last few years.

We firmly believe that the current outbreak of violence is a continuation and is directly linked to the series of recent acts and pattern of violence in Tshwane. We, therefore, maintain that this is certainly not an unexpected eruption of violence.

We further believe that these acts of violence and destruction have, as their material basis, the accumulation regime that has earmarked and invested in capturing the public purse in the City of Tshwane.

We are also reminded that even past Regional Congresses and the councilor selection and nomination process were allegedly riddled with serious acts of violence, use of money and manipulation of nomination processes and procedures.

It is in this context that we strongly believe that this renewed wave of violence, destruction and anarchy merely constitute the last kicks of the rampant and systemic dying twin dangers (horse) of corporate capture and factionalism in the City of Tshwane.

We hope with this ANC intervention in the City of Tshwane, the ugly face of the twin dangers of factionalism and corporate capture will never rear their ugly head again.

We are confident that whilst certain sections of the working class have been regrettably co-opted and used in this violence by various factions of the parasitic and dependent bourgeoisie, they will soon see through the ugly face of these divisive forces.

Call for a decisive disciplinary action against the real instigators

We are convinced, beyond doubt, that this is a mere continuation of the same but now intensified pattern of violence.

We are however dismayed that in spite of this history and pattern of violence, to date, no one has been held accountable. With these renewed acts of violence, we hope a prompt, swift, and decisive action will be taken against the instigators without fear of favour, nor, a factional consideration.

Task team to investigate the violence

As part of the SACP’s intervention to deal with these sponsored acts violence we have appointed a Task Team led by our Provincial Chairperson Comrade Joe Mpisi to investigate involvement of any SACP and Young Communist League (YCL) members in these acts of criminality.   The task team has commenced with its work with immediate effect as of today and will be on the ground. The team will report on their findings to the Provincial Working Committee on Friday.

Where any of our members are found to be involved in these acts of criminality, they will be dealt with decisively, without fear or favour. We therefore call on members of the SACP to desist from taking part in any of these acts of criminality.  We call on members to continue with the door-to-door campaign, factory-to-factory campaign to deliver a two thirds majority ANC victory.

We, therefore, congratulate Cde Thoko Didiza for her deployment and reassure her that victory is certain, aluta continua.

Issued by Jacob Mamabolo, SACP Gauteng Provincial Secretary, 21 June 2016