SACP Central Committee Statement
Meeting on 25 and 26 May, six weeks before the SACP's 13th National Congress, the Central Committee (CC) refined the Party's Draft Political Programme for 2012-2017, "The South African Road to Socialism" (SARS) which is to be debated at the 13th National Congress.
Refining our Draft Programme for 2012-2017
The CC decided that the following issues should also be included as part of SARS:
a) The SACP needs to be far more active in tackling climate change and other environmental challenges and integrate this into our Medium Term Vision as part of the struggle against capitalism.
b) Given the centrality of land reform and agrarian transformation to the national democratic and socialist revolutions, the draft programme needs to give more attention to the land question.
c) We need to focus more on the extent to which the anti-majoritarian liberal offensive uses statutory institutions to undermine the National Democratic Revolution, and the need for the Tripartitie Alliance to more actively mobilize People's Power to defend and advance the NDR. We also need to engage with our Alliance partners on how to find a more effective balance between governance and mass mobilization; and also ensure a mutually reinforcing and dialectical relationship between our engagement in the state and People's Power.
d) The SACP also needs to consider how we can contribute to strengthening the capacity of the state and deepening its transformation into an effective national democratic developmental state.
e) As is clear from the persistent racism and chauvinism in our society, there is a need for a general understanding of key issues relating to non-racialism, culture and values in our society. More importantly the SACP is convinced that we need to intensify the struggle against racism, bigotry and all other forms of chauvinism. It is also absolutely clear that sections of South African society have taken our people's gesture of reconciliation as a sign of weakness. The discourse on non-racialism is currently being increasingly dominated by liberals.
Yet the SACP was the first organization to be non-racial and for long spearheaded the struggle for a non-racial democracy. We need to look at new ways of advancing the struggle for non-racialism and new sites through which to wage it, and, importantly, integrate this more effectively into the national democratic and socialist struggles. For the SACP, the main focus should be on uniting the workers and the poor of all races.
f) The CC also resolved that there has to be much greater stress on the political education of SACP members at every level and consideration needs to be given to establishing a permanent Party School.
g) For SARS to be implemented there has to be rolling mass action - and this needs to be elaborated in the annual programmes of action devised by the party.
The CC noted that discussions on SARS have highlighted the need to more effectively and sustainably deal with the persisting challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality in our country and to both accelerate the pace of transformation and deepen it.
Freedom of Expression not an Abstract Right
The SACP has joined its alliance partners and millions of ordinary black, along with some white, South Africans in expressing our sense of outrage about Brett Murray's work, The Spear. The CC felt that this provocative painting must be strongly condemned by all South Africans. We have called for a boycott of the City Press until there is an apology from the newspaper for having splashed the offending portrayal into public prominence, and the deeply offensive work is withdrawn from its website. We will also be active participants in Tuesday's march on the Goodman Gallery and in other related activities.
Freedom of speech, and the related freedom of artistic expression are important freedoms in any democracy. The SACP has an outstanding record of being in the trenches of struggle for the achievement of these rights in the darkest days of colonial and apartheid repression. But this is not primarily an abstract, universalist right. And the rage around Murray's work raises the need for all of us to understand and take responsibility for the concrete economic, social, cultural and even psychological realities of our society in which we all continue to suffer from deep-seated phobias, lingering prejudices, and, in the case of the majority, basic deprivations and a continuing sense of pain and hurt.
Nor is this, it must be stressed, principally a legalistic matter - although, as the editor of the City Press, Ferial Haffajee, once recognized in another context, the right to freedom of expression is not an unlimited right and it needs to be balanced and socially contextualized. In our case, given our centuries-long divided and barbaric history, we need to continuously affirm the corner-stone right of our entire Constitution - the right to human dignity for all.
Whilst we must strongly condemn Murray's insults, it would be a sad day for the future of our country if we allowed the emotions provoked by Murray's work to polarize us along racial grounds.
Rights and responsibilities are inter-twined. We call on our members and our broader movement to mobilize to express legitimate outrage and our defence of the key principle of human dignity for all, and we also call for discipline and a sense of responsibility.
Murray's work raises, once again, the need for respect of the Office of the President of this country and the person of the President.
The CC understands that the City Press is prepared to consider the concerns of the SACP and its Alliance partners and the millions of people we represent, and in this context, we are prepared to meet with the City Press if that would perhaps help them better understand the outrage of our people and contribute to taking matters positively forward. A delegation of the SACP will meet with the City Press on Monday in this regard.
Need for More Discussion on Traditional Court Bill
The CC received a report on the Traditional Courts Bill which is currently before parliament, and felt very strongly that the Bill needs to be discussed further within the Alliance and broader society, and not be proceeded with in its current form.
Among the issues the CC drew attention to were the following:
a) The Traditional Courts Bill highlights the need for a more comprehensive review of the entire justice system, whose underlying principles and values need to be completely re-examined. It is within the context of such a review that a role for Traditional Courts, consistent with the objectives of the national democratic transformation, has to be defined.
b) Currently, it is mainly the rich and other elites who have access to justice, and the transformation of the justice system must ensure greater access for the poor.
c) Aspects of the Traditional Courts system that are progressive should be retained, but aspects that are in conflict with the non-sexist, democratic and nation-building goals of the NDR should be rejected.
d) Peoples Courts and Street Committees should be revived and play a role in dispute resolution on basic issues that need not be processed by the formal structures of the justice system.
e) The SACP will develop its views further on the Traditional Courts Bill as part of a transformed criminal justice system, and consider this further at our 13th National Congress in July.
On International Issues:
Support for Proper Labelling of Products from Palestine
The CC reiterated the SACP's support for the notice issued by Minister of Trade and Industry, Comrade Rob Davies, for the Israelis to stop labelling goods produced in the Israeli settlements within Palestine as products of Israel.. This will also allow South African consumers to make a choice on whether we want to buy goods produced through the dispossession and subjugation of the Palestinian people.
The SACP supports the call for goods produced within Palestine to be labelled as such.
The Minister's notice highlights once again the Israeli occupation of Palestine and its constant encroachment on Palestinian land. The SACP re-affirms our commitment to sanctions against Israel and the boycott of Israeli goods until the Palestinians rights to national self-determination are realised.
The SACP will continue to work with other progressive forces to mobilise solidarity action in support of the Palestinian people and their just cause.
Euro Zone Crisis
The CC noted that the continuing Euro Zone economic and financial crisis serves to confirm our analysis in SARS that this is a systemic crisis which can only be sustainably addressed through a principled struggle against the capitalist system and its replacement by the more, humane and just socialist system.
Cuba
The CC congratulated the parliament of our country for voting to give Cuba R395 million in financial assistance, and recalled the huge debt our movement and people owe Cuba for their contribution to our struggle.
The CC noted with appreciation Cuba's assistance to Comrade Hugo Chavez with his health challenges.
The CC congratulated CC and Politburo member Chris Che Matlhako for receiving the "The Friendship and Solidarity" Award from the Cuban government.
Importance of Africa Day
The CC noted the importance of Africa Day and re-affirmed the SACP's commitment to contributing to transformation and progress on the continent, especially in the interests of the workers and the poor.
Congratulations on Square Kilometer Array (SKA)
The CC noted with pride the decision to award the SKA project primarily to South Africa, and congratulates the government on this. This award is a major boost to scientific development not just in South Africa, but the African continent as a whole.
Strengthening Relations between SACP and COSATU
The CC welcomed the recent meeting between the office bearers of the SACP and COSATU and progress in preparations for a full bilateral of the two organisations to be held soon. The office bearers meeting re-affirmed the need for the two organisations committed to socialism to work more effectively together.
Congratulations to YCL on its 90th Anniversary
The CC congratulated the YCL on its 90th anniversary and on its considerable progress since its revival in 2003. The CC appreciated the major contribution the YCL makes to the SACP, and expressed its confidence that the YCL will grow from strength to strength.
Congratulations to the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM)
The SACP also congratulates the NUM on holding a successful 14th National Congress and celebration of its 30th anniversary of heroic struggle for better working conditions for Mineworkers, and its contribution to the struggle for national liberation in our country. We also wish to congratulate two members of the SACP Central Committee, cdes Senzeni Zokwana and Frans Baleni for their re-election as President and General Secretary respectively. This is a tribute and recognition of their role and principled contribution to the struggle of the workers and the poor in our country. We also wish the entire elected leadership of the NUM well in their responsibilities, and look forward to deepening the relations between the NUM and the SACP.
The CC also welcomed the NUM's resolution to join the class-oriented World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). It is indeed time now that genuine international proletarian solidarity is deepened through the strengthening of an anti-capitalist global trade union movement, especially in the wake of a capitalist system that is truly in crisis. The SACP hopes that this resolution will pave the way for the entirety of COSATU to join the WFTU.
Progress on 13th SACP National Congress, 11-15 July
The CC finalised preparations for our 13th National Congress, to be held at the University of Zululand in Empangeni from 11 to 15 July. The Congress will bring together over 2000 delegates representing over 150 000 members. It will be the largest ever Congress in the SACP's 91-year history. The Congress is organized around the theme "Advance and Deepen Working Class Power and Hegemony in All key Sites of Struggle."
Over 40 Communist parties from other countries will attend.
The President of the ANC, Comrade Jacob Zuma, will address the Congress, as will our other Alliance partners.
The CC expressed considerable satisfaction with progress made since our 12th National Congress in July 2007 and looks forward to a successful and productive 13th National Congress that significantly takes forward our struggle for socialism!
Statement issued by the SACP, May 27 2012
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