South African Communist Party
MEDIA STATEMENT BY THE SACP IN MOSES MABHIDA PROVINCE
28 January 2016
The Provincial Executive Committee of the South African Communist Party in Moses Mabhida Province held a special meeting on the 27th of January 2016. The meeting was called after an unfortunate incident in Intshanga which left some people dead. The PEC also reflected on the progress of the nomination process in the Province. This special meeting followed a visit of the General Secretary Cde Blade Nzimande to the scene of incident and the victims of the violent attack of the SACP meeting.
The PEC condemned the incident which was reminiscent of the apartheid style attacks on innocent communities and was reminded of the days of the IFP, UDF clashes. The SACP strongly believes that these attacks at the SACP meetings was a culmination of a plot orchestrated long time ago to embarrass the SACP and its Chairperson Cde James Nxumalo.
The incident in Intshanga had been widely publicized in the media and in so far very little action has been taken to address the grievances of the people of Intshanga. The PEC also concluded that the violence in Intshanga is a result of a well-planned marginalization of SACP members in ANC activities particularly to participate meaningfully on all ANC matters.
It is unfortunate and an embarrassment that Cde Dlamini had to spare his life pleading for Democracy, Justice and Fairness for everyone in exercising rights within our structures more than twenty years into our democracy. There is a strong indication of a power struggle around the candidates’ nomination process for Local Government Elections. This has been the same with the leadership in the ANC, may it be the Branch Executive Committee, the Regional and Provincial Conference.
But what has disturbed the Provincial Executive Committee is a consistent effort to embarrass the Provincial Chairperson of the SACP. The PEC was reminded of the lies about the defeat of James Nxumalo in the EThekwini Conference when he was not present in the EThekwini Conference and have not accepted the nomination to the Chairperson of the EThekwini Region.
The PEC also call upon calm and restrain from the people of Intshanga and ask all members of the SACP throughout the Province not to allow to be provoked by the incident of Intshanga or any similar incident that may happen elsewhere.
The SACP is a Party of peace and we are going to fight for peace. We are not going to allow criminals to hijack our Alliance and we call upon all alliance partners to stop criminals hijacking our structures, let our structures belong to the people not to the criminals, thugs and commercial racketeers. The PEC also decided that they will approach the leadership of the ANC to discuss how we must prevent similar incidents happening. The PEC also have been asked to meet the Provincial Commissioner of the Police to appoint a special team to investigate the Intshanga incident.
The SACP strongly believes that the incident of Intshanga may warrant a Commission to investigate the incident hence also a decision to request an audience with the Premier of the Province.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS
The PEC also reflected on the forthcoming Local Government Elections with emphasis on the candidate nomination process. The SACP is deeply disappointed and depressed on the state of the nomination process in the Province. KwaZulu-Natal which appear to be lagging far behind to other Provinces in the nomination process. There are a high number of reported cases of the violation of the ANC Constitution and the guidelines in the nomination process reported throughout the Province.
Serious cases of isolation of the Party and other Alliance partners are being reported from the branches up to the higher structures. Conclusion can be made that the participation of other Alliance Structures are being made to be a farce. The SACP is taking these reports very seriously and believes that a very strong political intervention is needed.
The SACP is committed to an ANC driven, ANC led election nomination process. The SACP wants to see an overwhelming ANC victory in these forthcoming Local Government Elections but this overwhelming victory of the ANC cannot be realised if we allow in fighting and marginalization of each other within the Alliance.
The SACP also strongly believes that the nomination process must also be community centred and we will ensure that all of us do heed to President Zuma’s call in the JANUARY 8 Statement of the community involvement in the nomination process of the candidate for Local Government Elections. We are not going to be apologetic on demanding that our communities must be at the centre of this nomination process.
The PEC is now highly convinced that without a National Intervention on this process this nomination process is again going to be hijacked by criminal, thugs and commercial racketeers. The PEC therefore decided to suspend its participation in the candidate nomination process structures with immediate effect pending the National Intervention.
The PEC will immediately write to the Provincial Leadership and the National Leadership on this decision. We strongly call upon the Provincial Leadership and the National Leadership to respond and act swiftly to correct this unfortunate state of affair of the nomination process in KwaZulu-Natal.
Nevertheless the SACP remains committed on the support of the African National Congress overwhelming victory of the forthcoming Local Government Election and will strongly campaign to that effect. We also call upon all communists to fight relentlessly for adherence to democratic principles in all structures where they participate including biasness to the interest of the working class. That is our emphasis going forward.
There is no amount of repression, intimidation, killings and marginalization that will defer us from fighting for justice, fairness and democracy in all spheres of our lives.
SOCIALISM IS THE FUTURE!!! BUILD IT NOW!!!!
Statement issued by SACP KZN Provincial Secretary, Themba Mthembu, 29 January 2016
