ADDRESS BY SIHLE ZIKALALA, ANC KZN PROVINCIAL SECRETARY,TO THE ANC OKHAHLAMBA REGIONAL CONFERENCE HELD ON THE 12TH - 14TH DECEMBER 2014
Chairperson of the Session;
The ANC Provincial Leadership present;
The ANC Regional Chairperson and the entire REC;
The Leadership ANCYL, ANCWL and ANCVL;
The leadership of our Alliance partners; the SACP, COSATU & SANCO
Delegates to this conference; and
Comrades and all.
We bring warm and revolutionary greetings to this ANC Okhahlamba Regional Conference. We are gathered here not just to satisfy the constitutional guidelines that every three years the region shall convene the Regional Conference but to take stock of the political tasks imposed by current condition to the revolutionary movement - the ANC.
This regional conference takes place during the very important period in the political landscape of our country. The conference is sitting here today seven days after we commemorated the anniversary since the departure of former President Nelson Mandela, one of the gallant fighters and revolutionaries our movement has produced. We salute Madiba for being an embodiment of values and principles of the movement; keep among those is dedication, determination and preparedness to suffer for the liberation. From Madiba, we learnt humility, respect and appreciation to treat people equally irrespective of whether one is rich or poor, irrespective of the person's stature and position.
We must never commemorate Madiba as an individual. Madiba was always part of the movement and the revolution. For that he belongs to the ANC and wherever he is he remains an ANC cadre. Madiba was part of a generation. He always subjected himself to the collective. Thus when we celebrate Madiba we celebrate O.R Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Antony Lembethe, Albertinah Sisulu, Joe Slovo and others.
We have gathered here today, three days before the celebration of the December 16 which always reminds us of the formation of our people's army - uMkhontoWesizwe. We salute those who left this country and surrendered their lives to the struggle of the people. Once again we affirm ourselves: Singama Sosha KaLuthuli, Lapho Lapho, Lapho siyakhona thina silindel'ukufakwethu.
This is a determination and zeal that always propel revolutionaries of this movement to know that no matter what, theirs was to liberate the people even if that would come through paying the more sacrifice.
This conference sit towards the end of 2014, the year our movement declared as: "A year of united action to move South Africa Forward". This declaration we proclaimed in when we celebrated the January 08, at the beginning of this year in Mpumalanga compels us that as the year end we should ask ourselves; have we during the course of this year engaged on a united action? How have such united action contributed in taking South Africa forward.
We take this opportunity to thank all of you for getting united in defence of the revolution during the 2014 May General Elections. The dedication and hard work we endured was for the good course and for that only the revolution will thank you. We say so because we are not in business of self-glorification. Whenever people get water, electricity, sanitation, roads and healthy facilities, we draw appreciation because we know that is as the results of our hard won victory in the past elections.
Fellow Comrades
We continue to wage the revolution in a much contested and polluted environment where politics of populism have become the order of the day. While we accept the democratic contest, we take note of attempts by the opposition to undermine the revolutionary gains we have scored in the elections through hooliganism in Parliament.
The opposition parties have concluded that they have no space among the people; they cannot hold mass meetings or rallies as they enjoy no support among the people. They have opted to use some platforms as a means to communicate and undermine the majority views and thinking of our people.
They have sewn to use Parliament to popularise themselves among the people. They have decided that they will do this even if it means to disrupt and cause anarchy. They have lost sight to integrity of the institution. They have come to a point where they compete for bad behaviour and anarchy.
The second platform the opposition has adopted for their nasty agenda is the Media. They have chosen to use the media because they know that it is owned by the very same people who share the idea of reversing the gains of freedom. They lambast the ANC, in particular President Jacob Zuma because he is the face of the organisation. They equally started attacking Deputy President and National Chairperson
The third platform they have decided to use is the Judiciary. Any decision that they failed to win in Parliament is taken to courts and reserved.
In pursuing this agenda, they have decided to adopt a "personalised agenda". They attack leadership at a personal level to undermine their credibility. They have shifted the focus from strategic issues such as policies and programmes on service delivery to personal matters because they know the ANC government is delivering to the people.
At this conference we should ask ourselves what should be done to respond to this offensive waged by counter revolutionaries. We should among others embark on the programme focusing on the following:
Respond directly and outsmarting the opposition by redirecting the focus in Parliament into strategic issues of policy and programme for socio-economic transformation.
Unite the people behind the ANC through engaging all sectors: religious, business, sports and civil society at large.
Engage in the public discourse at all levels.
Deal with the elements of ill-discipline includes sympathetic feelings towards the EFF within the movement, especially the youth.
Opposition at Glance
We live in times of high populism where anarchy and disorder supersedes political reasoning. The Parliament is slowly losing its decorum as the DA and EFF are competing on who is the best disruptor among themselves. Effective reasoning is replaced by anarchy.
At the same time lumpen proletarians - the EFF - continue to present themselves as the revolutionaries who have the capacity to deliver economic freedom. Yet the reality is that they are informed by nothing rather adventurism. They use genuine concerns to project themselves as revolutionaries. In response to this, the ANC must speedily address the challenges of the high unemployment and continue to sustain contact with the people.
At the same time we must respond to the neoliberal agenda advanced by the DA. The DA continues to present itself as transformed and advancing the interests of all. Yet the reality is that they only represent the interests of the liberals and capitalists, who are dominantly white males.
Here in the province; we need to move with speed to put the final nail on the IFP. The 2016 General Elections should be the final mark for the IFP whose life-expectancy has already expired. The NFP emerged with high hullabaloo leading up to the 2011 Local Government Elections only to suffer a huge disappointment during the 2014 General Elections. This was only because they were not formed based on a specific need but on self-interests of individuals.
In essence we must consolidate unity of the ANC and face the opposition with determination of victory.
ANCYL SITUATION
The state of the ANC Youth League continues to create serious concerns to the whole movement. This is precisely because of the character of the ANCYL that emerged post 2008 which positioned itself as an opposition to the ANC and wanted to impose itself through bulling leaders and the membership.
We commend the decision to convert the ANCYL National Congress into the National Consultative Congress. The main reason behind this decision was the continued use of money to influence leadership elections in the organisation.
As we continue building the ANCYL structures our focus must not be mechanical and be concerned about structures only but we must re-instil the political orientation of the ANCYL as the "Defined body of opinion. In that radicalism is not the same as hooliganism. Radicalism is about advance political and ideological debates with the political realm of the organisation.
ON COSATU CHALLENGES
We continue to strive for maximum unity of the Alliance and the Mass Democratic Movement. We will continue working for unity of COSATU. The ANC remains clear that unity of COSATU reflects unity of the workers. We are of the view that the unity of COSATU should include NUMSA remaining and working with all Affiliates within COSATU.
Marxists workerists tendencies should be debated and defeated within the movement. Tendencies have always been there but we have managed to deal with them through political persuasion and engagement. When workers unites, they are able to fight against the exploitation of workers and able to overcome the exploitation capitalistic system.
We determined that the National Democratic Revolution is still on track. In this regard, the task of the revolution is to replace one social system by the other. The latter should deliver better and progressive living conditions for the people.
In our case the revolution is contending with the transformation of the lives of the people from the legacy of apartheid-colonialism to a National Democratic Society founded on principles of non-racialism, non-sexism, democracy, unity and prosperity for all.
This first critical programme of the revolution requires a focus on social and economic development of the people. Therefore the tasks of the National Democratic Revolution should fundamentally help our country to:
Negate a state where people live in poverty and underdevelopment and create jobs where people are not just dependent of social grants but productive through working and participation in the economy. This will address state of despair and despondent among the people. Thus job creation remains the fundamental tasks of the government at all levels. Periodical we should ask each department and each government to how many jobs opportunities are created.
As we intensify this programme we should transform the economy. We should negate a state where people live to work to a state where people work, produce and own of the economy. We ensure that all government projects are benefiting to previously oppressed in particular cooperative. There must be a deliberate effort for building, monitoring and helping cooperatives to succeed, including nurturing them and reserving the market. We should stimulate local and rural economy; I see no reason of not building sugar mill in rural areas. These project must be a direct intervention and be capitalised.
Negate a state of a society which is characterised by illiteracy and ensure that literacy is at a higher level. Eradication of illiteracy requires us to ensure that there is no one who cannot read and write. Fighting illiteracy include access to information and technology. Community information centre and information technological hubs should be built and assessable to all communities.
Negate a state of inequality created by apartheid regime. In this regard we should spell out clearly the tasks of the revolution towards attaining the radical economic transformation programme we have adopted. The radical economic transformation should include :
A dedicated focus should be on radical economic transformation. This should include implementing land reform programme according to the resolution of Mangaung which say the land redistribution will be on the basis of assessed value by the office of Valuer General.
Protecting the local market such protecting the local economy through imposing highest taxation in the import of any product which is also produced in the country.
We should fight the domination of big companies in all levels and ensure the development of black owned companies but in a more distributive approach. No company should have joy of getting work all over while others starve as this will create one filthy rich individual while other people are in poverty.
We should restrain from exporting raw materials and ensure that everything produced in the country is processed to final product within the country and this is one issue we must advance in the next National General Council without any fear.
The NGC should discuss whether we should not immediately put a stop on giving mining licencing and consolidating all mining opportunities under one State entity which will then enter into partnership with the private in production. We may not have much intervention on what has already been allocated but without taking all mineral resources under the government will mean the radical economic transformation will remain a paper dream and South Africa shall remain exploited by imperialist conglomeration whose agenda is to loot the economy from the hands of the people.
Besides eradicating illiteracy we must engage in skills development in a very serious and dedicated approach. This should include easy access and quality of Tertiary education in South Africa.
Tasks of the NDR in Okhahlamba
This conference must define tasks for the revolution in this region. The first of this programme should be to meet the demands of the people of the region:
The basic services are the priority the movement cannot avoid. The provision of water, electricity and sanitation become the main for the ANC led government.
The economic transformation arising from issues we have raised above are very important.
There shall be no revolution without a revolutionary movement. The Manguang Conference was ready in declaring the period of 2012 to 2022 as the decade of the cadre where the movement should focus on restoring its cultures, principles and traditions and continue to root its hegemony among the people.
The programme of the Decade of a cadre should be based on the following critical areas:
Restore values, traditions and principles -through political education
Sustain contact with the people - winning their minds and ensure that they are at the centre of leading the revolution
Intensify Ideological and Political training of the cadreship to defend and advance ANC policies at all material times
Engage on Academic Development of cadreship of the movement as part of building an all-round cadre.
Ensure firmness and decisive action against ill-discipline.
Africa and the world
We move from the premise that the international front remains an ideological terrain for the struggle for equal society and better world:
This year has seen the worst kind of attack to the people of Palestine. We condemn this strongest terms and call for peace in the Middle East. We are steadfast that the resolution of the Palestine and Israel shall only be through the two state solutions where both countries will leave side by side each other.
Incidents that are not strange, disappearance of fly from Malaysia, the death of the people in the church in Nigeria
Nigeria: the emergence of the state of lawlessness in the Nigeria where there have been abduction of children.
Zimbabwe: we have noted the recent events within ZANUPF and the recalling of the Deputy President of the country. We wish that the country and ZANU PF - our sister organisation - unity. We hope these events will not detract and derail the course of the revolution in the country.
There has been instability in a number of countries in Africa, especially Northern Africa and latterly in some Southern part of Africa. We are hopeful that the situation in Lesotho will be normalised and the country will host its elections soon under the leadership of our Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.
As we convene conferences of the ANC, we have observed new tendencies that undermining the meaning and stature of ANC Conferences. These tendencies include:
Reducing the conference to electing leadership at the neglect of strategic tasks: such as policy review, development of programme and then lastly elect the leadership.
The use of money in the organisation to influence the election of the leadership.
Using Government positions to dispense patronage and influence the elections of the leadership
Character assassination, derogatory songs or sign songs that promote individuals.
Booking of delegates of separate accommodations than the one arrange all other delegates. Provision of transport that is not arranged by the organisation.
We should emphasise that the strategic tasks of the ANC are as follows:
Review Policy to ensure that policies respond to challenges of the country: The first task of the conference is to review and ensure that organisational policies addresses challenges that are facing the people.
Programme of action: the second task of the conference is to develop the programme of the organisation at the level. As this is the regional conference, it must develop the programme that respond to the socio-economic challenges of the people in the region
Election leadership: the last task of the conference is to elect leadership. The problem is when the election of the leadership supersedes everything and become the main priority of the conference. The election of the leadership should be democratic and everyone be free to express and elect a leader of his or her choice without being subjected to anything. We must always bear in mind that "branches are the electoral college of the ANC" (Through the eye of the needle).
The key pillar of the ANC is unity. We need each other in pursuit of the revolution. Unity and cohesion should be the task of each and every one. Once we have elected the leadership, we must all accept them as our leaders irrespective of what was one's view before election. Those who are elected must embrace and service everyone, especially those who did not support their election. In campaigning for the election of regional leadership, no one must use the names of Provincial or National Leaders. None must claim to be standing because he or she is endorsed but any provincial leader. The election of the regional leaders has nothing to do with other spheres of the organisation.
As we conclude this year we must begin to focus our attention to the strategic tasks of the coming year. As expected, the ANC will present the strategic tasks of the year 2015 when the NEC present the January 08 statement in next in Cape Town. But areas of focus are:
The 60th Anniversary of the freedom charter. We must use this anniversary to highlight the success we have achieved since the dawn of democracy in the country. This place must place the centre as the motive forces who continue to gain in success progression of the revolution.
As we begin the year, we must root the movement among the people. The key focus should be on ensuring that branches place a role on social issues. The ANC branch must not be about the work of the councillor and ward committee only but must attend and lead campaign on societal issues, especially fighting social-ills, promoting the culture of teaching and learning, social cohesion and economic development of the people in particular through cooperatives.
The year 2015 will also have the National General Council, as reflected above, as the midterm review of the NEC we must begin to highlight policy direction that the movement must take. This must include identifying the pillars of this radical economic transformation we resolved on in Manguang.
We must use to consolidate ourselves and focus on 2016 Local Government Elections. From the NGC, all our priorities will be on the 2016 elections. We must not wait for the campaign to connect with the people we must always be at the centre of people struggle addressing their concerns and needs. Let keep the ANC relevant and as a point of reference for all.
On behalf of the ANC Provincial Leadership, I declare this conference officially opened and wish you fruitful and successful conference.
Amandla!!!
Issued by ANC KZN, December 19 2014
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
