Response to Unwarranted Attacks on the South African Government by Clerics and Others

The South African Communist Party in the Moses Mabhida Province (KZN) has noted, with dismay, the clearly concerted efforts to undermine the South African government under the current leadership of President Jacob Zuma.

What is particularly notice able is the timing of the well coordinated broadside, as it comes just few days ahead of the ANC's elective congress in Mangaung.

The diatribe started yesterday with the distribution to the media of the letter from a group of self-styled clerics who have laid a broadside on the Zuma administration.

Most of the tirade was inaccurate and flew in the face mounting achievements of this administration in the areas such as the fight against corruption, job creation and improvement of healthcare as demonstrated by the massive reduction in the spread of HIV and Aids.

The second barrage of attacks, which is a set of lies disguised as a "study" was released by the inimitable pseudo-intellectual with a special venom for President Zuma - Mr Prince Mashele and his ilk Moeletsi Mbeki - the brother of former President Thabo Mbeki.

Mashele, through his Forum for Public Dialogue, which has an array of very interesting funders, claims that Cosatu shop stewards don't want Zuma to be re-elected as President; he also claims that these shop stewards have no confidence in the South African Communist Party.

This cannot be further from the truth. We would like to see the details of the so-called study and the methodology used to come up with these findings because, as far we know, the majority of the COSATU rank and file members including its shop stewards are fully behind Zuma as is the Central Committee of the federation.

It is clear to us that these groupings have allowed themselves to be the launching pads of imperialist attacks on our government.

The SACP in the Moses Mabhida province views all these as a carefully calculated onslaught on Zuma crafted by a bunch of desperate individuals working in cahoots with a certain faction of the movement to try and persuade the delegate attending the forthcoming electoral conference not to unilaterally return Zuma as it has been indicated through various nomination processes.

Theirs is a last desperate attempt of a failed campaign against the present leadership of the African National Congress.

These desperate elements will not fool delegates attending the 53rd National Congress. The ANC and its alliance partners will emerge from this conference more united than ever.

We call on the masses of our people, including the working class poor, to close ranks in the face of mounting attacks on the progressive forces.

Statement issued by SACP KZN Provincial Secretary Themba Mthembu, December 11 2012

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