SACP Northern Cape Provincial Executive Committee statement
22 August 2016
The South African Communist Party in the Northern Cape Province met in its regular session of the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) Meeting in Kimberley, over the weekend of 19 to 21 August 2016. The meeting received a political input of the Central Committee, presented by Comrade Chris Matlhako, Central Committee and Political Bureau member and Secretary for International Affairs as well as the provincial secretariat political report.
Alliance and international solidarity with the people of Cuba
The PEC was joined by the ANC-led alliance partners, the Friends of Cuba Society (FOCUS), Cuban Professionals and the Cuban Ambassador to South Africa, His Excellency Companero Carlos Fernandez de Cossio who delivered the keynote address. The meeting commemorated the 63rd Anniversary of the 26 July 1953 attack on the Moncada Garrison led by our friend, close ally and most trusted revolutionary Companero Fidel Castro who just celebrated his 90th Birthday.
The PEC reiterated the SACP’s call to the imperialist United States to end its inhumane, illegal economic blockade of Cuba and to return the Guantanamo Bay unconditionally to the Cuban nation.
Local government elections outcomes and immediate tasks
The PEC thanked the thousands of volunteers and supporters of the ANC-led alliance and Party activists for their hard work and revolutionary commitment displayed throughout the elections. All this was done to ensure that our people defend and consolidate the gains made as we continue to advance and deepen the National Democratic Revolution.
We congratulate the ANC for the victories secured. We are however concerned by the decline of 5% in the ANC’s electoral support.
The PEC believes that in order to address these challenges we need a strong and united ANC-led alliance to restore confidence from the masses of our people. In this regard we must go back to the drawing board. The PEC calls on the newly elected councillors to implement the Manifesto of the ANC and convene regular meetings with our communities.
Presently there is a political deficit to resolve the challenges that contributed to the sharp decline in ANC support across the province and the country. The PEC also noted the many external threats facing our revolution which are simply being reinforced by the “arrogance” and total “irresponsibility” by some leaders within the movement.
The SACP has committed itself to defend the people’s movement against foreign tendencies including factionalism, corporate capture, patronage, corruption, marginalisation of the masses, etc. All alliance components, led by the ANC, need to reaffirm the founding principles of the movement – collective leadership, hard work, organisational principles and proper political and ideological clarity.
The SACP has opened a process of constructive self-criticism with all alliance structures in the Province. This will deal with political and organisational issues and ensure that we become more coherent in advancing and defending our national democratic revolution. This must result in a more unified alliance.
All SACP structures must intensify their activism and Party campaigns across all communities and strengthen party organisation to lead working class and community struggles.
The PEC called on all our Party structures and ANC-led alliance as a whole not to demobilise election structures but shift their attention on leading community struggles and on ensuring quality service delivery.
Issued by Patrick Bosiame, Provincial Spokesperson, SACP Northern Cape, 22 August 2016
