SACP Western Cape 8th Provincial Congress Declaration
16 May 2017
We, the over 200 strong communist cadres representing SACP branches and Young Communist League converged at our 8th Provincial Congress under the theme: “Building a campaigning SACP towards a broad front for socialism.”
Solidarity with the Palestinian people
As Congress we pledged our message of democratic solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine, in line with our Party’s active international policy to support the right of the oppressed Palestinian people for national self-determination and democratic independence. The SACP as a whole, and as Congress we, support the continuing hunger strike in support of the just struggle of the Palestinian people for freedom. We condemn, in the strongest terms possible, the violation of the rights of the Palestinian people by the apartheid regime of Israel and its expansionist policy.
Assassination of SACP members
Congress expressed dismay on the increased and persistent onslaught against the SACP leadership including political assassinations in provinces such as KZN. More importantly, we condemn the apparent assassination attempt directed at our 2nd Deputy General Secretary, Comrade Solly Mapaila, during the Chris Hani Commemoration. We appeal to the relevant law enforcement agency to investigate, prosecute and ultimately arrest the culprits who once again want to plunge our country into anarchy.
Now more than ever, the SACP has increased responsibility to take for our revolution
Our vibrant congress occurs in a volatile political situation within the broader liberation movement and government in particular. The prevailing political situation confirms the urgent necessity for the SACP to play its leadership role in the movement and society in general.
Accordingly delegates reaffirmed the centrality of entrenching vibrant and ideologically strong SACP structures within the communities through popular campaigns particularly reviving Chris Hani’s Triple H campaign which denotes housing, health and hunger as well as strengthening our Know and Act in Your Neighbourhood Campaign. Consistent campaigns that fundamentally resolve people’s systematic and structural challenges require intensification to ensure the Party’s rootedness in our communities in particular the Coloured working class communities that remain disadvantaged by the underperforming and reactionary DA government. Further, the Party will intensify campaigns to ensure provision of land for inclusive housing for the poor through exercise of expropriation of land for public interest and the immediate issue of Tafelberg in Sea Point is a clear example.
Condolences to the victims of fires
As Congress, we also wish to convey our condolences to the family and friends of the three people that passed away in a fire in Imizamo Yethu, Hout Bay on Saturday night. We also wish to continue our strong condemnation of the high levels of gender-based violence in the country, as the SACP we reaffirm our position: “No Woman, No Revolution!”
Speak truth to power and make power truthful
Delegates were inspired by the maxim of “speaking truth to power and making power truthful”, and indeed our congress reaffirmed the SACPs progressive position that President Zuma must resign as he is no longer fit and proper person to lead our government and movement.
The litany of cases that have engulfed our government and the ANC prove that our legitimate political power is donated to the parasitic and corrupt Gupta family. The latest example in the reckless abuse of political power is the reinstatement of Brian Molefe at Eskom who is evidently a Gupta stooge in their looting of public resources.
Reverse Brian Molefe’s irregular re-appointment as Eskom CEO and dissolve the Eskom Board
As the Party we demand the immediate reversal of this reckless decision and ultimately the dissolution of the board. Molefe was hurryingly sneaked into Parliament earlier this year by means of factional manipulation. That President Zuma immediately thereafter wanted to appoint him Finance Minister shows that he was complicit in the smuggling of Molefe into Parliament.
After the move was resisted and failed, it can only be to our people’s peril to turn a blind eye to the possibility that the same may have applied in Molefe’s irregular reappointment as Eskom CEO. It can only be to our people’s peril to turn a blind eye that the decision is yet another Saxonwold shebeen outcome in the interests of the President’s friends, the Guptas, the business partners of his son.
President Zuma, please step down!
This is in the interest of our people, the unity of our movement and the support of the ANC in future elections.
The incapacity of the ANC to remove Zuma is objectionable and betrays the very foundation of the National Democratic Revolution. It is in this context that as the SACP we strongly believe that the ANC in its current form is incapable of leading the NDR. Zuma’s propensity towards high level of political decadence and opulence in the face of massive levels of class, racial and gendered inequality, unemployment and poverty, leads to a serious decline of political and organisational moral authority of the movement. Therefore, the need for our Party and movement in general to reverse this erosion of the core values of our revolution in order to reclaim revolutionary morality is paramount.
The Party cannot suspend the execution of the class struggle and advance towards socialism. We cannot abdicate the urgent necessity to lead the NDR as communists. In this respect our congress unapologetically asserts the right of the SACP to contest state power in its own right. This necessitates aggressive mobilisation of society through a broad front for socialism, which the SACP must conduct on an urgent basis.
Our newly elected leadership
1. Provincial Secretary: Benson Ngqentsu
2. Provincial chairperson: Anthony Dietrich
3. Provincial Treasure: Ernest Theron
4. 1st Deputy Provincial Secretary: Barry Mitchell
5. 2nd Deputy Provincial Secretary: Sonwabile Ngxiza
6. Deputy Provincial chairperson: Nokulunga Sofoyiya
Executive Committee
1. Khaya Magaxa
2. Amos Komeni
3. Mcebisi Mnconywa
4. Andrew Madella
5. Thando Wababa
6. Dolly Peter
7. Sibongile Kwazi
8. Mthetho Thunzi
9. Siyabulela Gxabalashe
10. Coby Greef
11. Unathi Fumba
12. Namhla Manjezi
13. Fatima Samuels
14. Dumisani Gxegwana
Issued by, Benson Ngqentsu, Provincial Secretary, SACP WCape, 16 May 2017
