South African Communist Party
EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE PEC STATEMENT:
"Unless the party build certain capacity now, there is a limit on what we can achieve", SACP General Secretary Comrade Blade Nzimande.
Tuesday, 19 August 2014
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Eastern Cape Province convened its Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting over the past weekend, on the 16 August 2014 in Port Elizabeth. The PEC meeting dealt with both the organisational and political reports. The meeting sought to assert the SACP and defend it from all those who wish to capture the Party for the electoral ambitions and selfish interests in the district.
The PEC was graced by the presence of Cde Phumulo Masualle, SACP Central Committee member, ANC Provincial Chair and Premier of Eastern Cape Province. The Premier shared with the PEC government priorities and concrete plans to bring about faster changes and improve the conditions of the people for the better.
Taking place during the important occasion of women's month, the meeting paid tribute to the gallant spirit of progressive and revolutionary contribution by women in our struggle for liberation and complete social emancipation. The SACP in the Eastern Cape with work together with other democratic forces to build the progressive women's movement with women playing a leading role.
The international context:
The PEC condemned the occupation and bombing of Palestinians by the apartheid Israel and joined the calls made by many progressive organs for South Africa to expel the Israel ambassador and isolate the brutal Zionist regime of Israel. The PEC welcomed the decision of both the University of Johannesburg and Cape Town University SRC to cut ties with Israeli universities.
The PEC further called for an immediate end of the blockade and siege of the Gaza strip which is illegal and against all humanitarian values. The PEC endorsed the call for the United Nations to declare apartheid in Israel a crime against humanity. What has been taking place in Palestine is nothing else but genocide. The International Court must bring to justice all perpetrators, starting with the leaders of the apartheid Israeli regime.
The national context:
More than ever before, an opportunity exists for the left and progressive forces to push for more radical changes in the economy of our country for the benefit of the majority. The building of the unity and power of the working class in all key sites of struggle and influence remains the pre-condition for any possible revolutionary advance.
The PEC welcomed the outcomes of the recent bilateral between our National Officials and COSATU National Office Bearers as a critical step for the two working class formations to work more closely in defining and influencing the context and pressing on with the implementation of the radical change that our society direly needs.
The meeting noted the proposed changes on worker pensions and provident funds and developed an approach to engage on this matter at the next Central Committee of our Party which is scheduled to take place next weekend.
The provincial context:
The PEC meeting discussed at length the state of local governance in our province. We firmly believe that if the challenges at the local government level are left unresolved they pose a serious threat to the movement in the upcoming local government elections. We reaffirm the need to ensure an alliance shared approach in resolving the challenges in the municipalities identified as hot spots. The consequences of any unilateral decision will not only be suffered by the African National Congress (ANC) but the entire liberation Alliance which represent the majority in the people's camp.
We once again reaffirm the call we have made in December that our government should get to the bottom of all the corruption involving the use of Nelson Mandela funeral to commit acts of alleged financial misappropriation. There should be investigation not only in Buffalo City and King Sabata Dalindyebo municipalities but in all municipalities in the province and the provincial government.
Alleged or real, any wrong doing in the name of Comrade Nelson Mandela damages the standing of the entire movement in the eyes of our people. We should unite and be consistent in rooting out corruption in favour of servicing the people with a greater determination. For us as the SACP, our fight against corruption is part of the struggle against capitalism which is inherently corrupt. We support the call made by Premier Masualle that all those charged for corruption should step aside until their cases are concluded. We believe this will help our ally, the ANC to protect its good name and that of President Nelson Mandela.
Party organisation:
We recommit our Party to carry forward and lead the struggles of the workers and the poor.
We have successfully launched Financial Sector Campaign Coalition (FSCC) Provincial Chapter, with the purpose of consolidating the struggle towards transforming the financial sector to serve the people. As the party in the province we pride ourselves for having worked for nothing else but the workers and the poor, including those who are in the state of a permanent war with the Party and our movement as a whole.
As our Party is moving towards its 7th provincial congress, we recommit ourselves to building a strong, vibrant, agile, adaptive and independent Party organisation. The will take forward the work outlined in the South African Road to Socialism (SARS), programme of the SACP.
The PEC adopted a framework towards the 7th provincial congress, rooted at safeguarding the unity of our Party and ensuring that the SACP emerges stronger from this congress and ready to play its leading, vanguard role.
Statement issued by Siyabonga Mdodi, SACP Eastern Cape Provincial Spokesperson, August 19 2014
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