Statement on the State of the Nation Address

Friday, 13 February 2015

The SACP condemns in strongest terms possible the premeditated disruption of the State of the Nation Address last night. The SACP supports the action taken by the presiding officers of parliament to stop the anarchy. The SACP calls for new preventive and responsive measures to bring to an end the abuse and misuse of parliament to disrupt its mandate and hold back the advance of the democratic, social and economic transformation of our country.

The counter-productive behaviour of disrupting the work of our democratically elected parliament and government accountability can only be the work of those who are not interested to see South Africa move forward. Their interest is to ensure that our country is distracted from focusing on strategic transformation priorities. This is why the proto-fascist party of the most corrupt tenderpreneur, the plunderer of Limpopo, which has become a willing extension of anti-majoritarian conservatives of white privilege, has been at the centre of the despicable acts.

The long-planned disruption of parliament received active support from the anti-majoritarians, including sections of the media, who turned a blind eye on the disgusting deeds of their useful allies, the disruptors. There has also been many other attempts outside Parliament to disrupt and distract attention from the State of the Nation Address. The success in dealing with the disruption and disrespect for important national events such as the State of the Nation Address therefore requires more work outside than can be done inside Parliament.  

The SACP welcomes the tabling of the State of the Nation Address by President Jacob Zuma after the right-wing alliance of the forces of counter-revolution evacuated the house.

The SACP in particular welcomes the determination to "eradicate racism and all related intolerances in our country" and the affirmation at the centre of government programme of the need to advance the Freedom Charter. The SACP further welcomes the nine-point plan by the government to create jobs and support inclusive economic growth. This includes:

Resolving the energy challenge and successfully fighting against the theft of cables and other components;

Revitalising agriculture and the agro-processing value chain;

Advancing beneficiation by adding value to our mineral resources instead of simply exporting them as raw materials and receiving them back as finished products that are costly;

More effective implementation of a higher impact Industrial Policy Action Plan;

Unlocking the potential of SMMEs, co-operatives, township and rural enterprises;

Boosting the role of state owned enterprises, ICT infrastructure including broadband roll out, and water, sanitation and transport infrastructure.

The SACP welcomes measures to develop strategic infrastructure for industrialisation and development in general, and the related support to municipalities. This includes energy infrastructure and the progressive shift towards a balanced energy mix.

The development of roads infrastructure and the link this has to the development of integrated transport system in cities as articulated by the President is a step in the right direction. The SACP reaffirms the importance of developing integrated, accessible, safe and affordable public transport system. This must eliminate uneven, and ensure balanced development between rural and urban areas. The significance of rural development in this regard cannot be over-emphasised!

The SACP welcomes the progressive measures on land reform and ownership. These including:

Exploring the 50:50 policy framework which proposes relative rights for people who live and work on farms;

A ceiling of land ownership (currently proposed to be 12,000 hectares);

The restriction of land ownership by foreign nationals who will not be allowed to own land in South Africa but will be eligible for long term lease.

An end to reliance on the so-called "willing buyer willing seller" model.

These, and further measures in future, must lead to land recognised as a natural resource that no one can create, and that therefore the land of South Africa is the common heritage of all. This in line with the Freedom Charter's principles that "South Africa belongs to all who live in it" and that land shall be re-divided amongst those who work it to banish famine and land hunger.

The SACP congratulates the government's success in preventing what was most likely to become the disappearance of the car making industry in South Africa under neoliberal globalisation. The government has re-shaped the industry and built its capacity including export capacity. This has saved many jobs that metalworkers would have lost. In the same score, the SACP welcomes progress in revitalising the footwear, clothing and textile production and industries.  

The SACP notes the commitment by the government for the consideration of the national minimum wage. The SACP supports this move, and calls for speedy implementation towards greater progress.

We also note the commitment to "regulate the practices of private employment agencies and temporary employment services, to prevent the abuse of unsuspecting work seekers". While this is a step in the right direction, including the establishment of the public employment service which we welcome, the SACP believes that labour brokers must be banned once and for all.

The SACP supports the plan to further advance social progress, such as housing, water, education and health. We welcome the progress made to establish three new universities and twelve new Vocational Education and Training College campuses. We however believe that more new universities and colleges must be established in the course of our democratic national transformation. The SACP supports the development of state pharmaceutical company and its involvement in ensuring the availability and supply of antiretroviral drugs.

There is much progress that has been made to achieve transformation, yet there are indeed domestic and international constraints to our march forward. The SACP recognises that there is still more work that needs to be done. All progressive and revolutionary social forces must come together to move South Africa forward. However, the forces of rearward movement must be dislodged. The journey ahead remains complex. 

Statement issued by the SACP, February 13 2015

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter