SACP STATEMENT ON COMMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO MINISTER MANUEL

The South African Communist Party is deeply enraged by comments attributed to the Minister in the Presidency - National Planning Commission, Mr Trevor Manuel that unions were "making too much use of strikes to push for social change" and "calling big business cowards for not standing up to unions.

It seems as if Minister Manuel has forgotten that we are no longer under the rule of the ‘1996 Class project' which he so diligently served as Finance Minister. The working class has suffered immensely from the neo liberal policies he pursued under the previous regime.

The SACP finds his remarks deeply offensive, insensitive and against governments commitment to the creation of decent work as the core pillar of economic policy. For Minister Manuel and others to try and use the post-Polokwane alliance relations to try and silence working class organization and mobilization is not acceptable. The working class is not for sale at the whims of capitalist sentiments to try and please imperialism and will stand its ground.

We hope that the ANC leadership will ask Mr Manuel to clarify his comments and that he finds it befitting to apologise to the majority of our people whom he has so much offended.

Statement issued by the South African Communist Party, June 15 2009

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