SACP Statement developments in Lesotho
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
The South African Communist Party has been deeply concerned by the developments that threatened to bring Lesotho to the brink of a civil war, and the coup that has taken place in that country. The Party has equally been concerned by imperialist geopolitical and geostrategic interests in that country, which is located within the borders of South Africa.
In particular we are also concerned about the implications to South Africa, the Southern African region in general and the continent as a whole. The upheaval in Lesotho is taking place at the same time as co-ordinated internal destabilisation within South Africa, and this not without the support of a broader external agenda.
The SACP condemns all of these manoeuvres in the strongest terms possible. It is one the characteristics of neo-colonialism that a local army should be used to occupy its own territory in the interests of imperialism and its collaborators. The SACP therefore condemns the incitement of the Lesotho army by opportunists to take up arms and hijack political processes, and calls for maximum discipline.
It is clear that imperialist forces are building their bases and enclaves for the extension and perpetuation of their influence and power in our continent in all fronts - economic and political. This includes establishing military bases under the United States' Africa Command, AFRICOM, and surveillance equipment installed in mountainous areas - in our continent noticeably in smaller countries to destabilise larger neighbours.
This is a cause for further serious concern, especially in the aftermath of the exposure of the United States' spying activities against other governments, Heads of States and private individuals by former U.S. intelligence operative Edward Snowden who is now in political exile in Russia. The many conflicts taking place in our continent and other parts of the world are mainly the result of the neo-colonial and imperialist interference, coupled with the use of local factors that provide space for such.
The SACP notes the work done by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in resolving the political crisis facing Lesotho, and welcomes the progress made so far towards achieving stabilisation and restoring order. In this regard we particularly welcome the role played by South Africa. We are however looking forward to more work being done to address the underlying factors behind the emerging tendency of conflict and coups in that country.
The SACP is calling on all parties concerned to intensify negotiations, but this not as vehicle to replace the sitting government, which must be re-affirmed. A tendency whereby sitting governments are removed by undemocratic means and force leading to interim arrangements, premature elections and new governments must come to an end.
Further, the SACP is calling for renewal, intensification and increased co-ordination of a people's anti-imperialist movement in the Southern African region and the continent as a whole. The welcome efforts undertaken by SADC and the African Union in the continent as state-based organisations must be buttressed by mobilisation through popular organs of people's power on the ground. In return, those efforts must support, and be based on, the will of the people. In this regard the SACP has been working continuously and will continue to do so.
Statement issued by the SACP Central Committee, September 2 2014
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