Saturday, July 06, 2013

Joint SACP-COSATU Statement in Mpumalanga Province in South Africa

SACP - COSATU Mpumalanga Province Joint Statement

4 July 2013

The South African Communist Party and Congress of South African Trade Unions Mpumalanga held a bilateral meeting on Thursday 4 July 2013 at eMalahleni.

This is the second bilateral meeting between COSATU and the SACP in the province in 2013. This bilateral meeting takes place after both COSATU and the SACP held bilateral meetings with the ANC, and after a very successful Provincial General Council of the ANC whose posture was reconciliatory.

Relations and Unity of both Allies

Our relations have always been intact, our first bilateral this year has been able to produce a powerful Chris Hani memorial lecture, a successful 08th SACP Provincial Congress and a successful 2013 May day Celebration.

Our strength has always been unity and our unity is not based on sentiments and friendship but primarily on ideology, principle and a revolutionary programme of the working class even if forces of counter-revolutionary tried their level best to divide us but through our political maturity they dismally failed. The Socialist Axis

The two allies agreed that both COSATU and the SACP must be regarded as a Socialist Axis because the SACP is a Vanguard Party of the working class and the poor, it is a Party of Revolution, a Marxist -Leninist Revolutionary Party with its roots in the Communist International, a Party of Internationalism that is fighting for a jut world and for socialism. The SACP is regarded as the political insurance for the works of this country.

COSATU is the most advanced detachment of the working class and the poor, it is the most organised sector of the mass movement, and COSATU is a Transformative Revolutionary Trade Union Movement which is engaged in a working class struggle to transform society. COSATU is not a narrow workplace gumboots trade union. COSATU has earned its little in the battle field as the moral campus in our society. COSATU is regarded by many in our society as the fearless spokesperson for the working class and the downtrodden. COSATU is an Internationalist organisation that is fighting for a socialist South Africa and a Socialist World.

Based on that ideological perspective the two allies agreed that indeed these two working class formations are the real Socialist Axis in our country and in the Province.

Joint Programme and Campaigns

The meeting noted the current rates of unemployment, poverty and inequality, as dominantly affect women and youth in our province. Therefore the two allies agreed on the joint mobilisation of all progressive forces, the state power and resources to address this challenge.

The two allies agreed on joint collaboration that will seek to agitate masses to fight against the rapid casualisation of labour, labour brokering, campaign to defend farm workers, NUM and SATAWU against the attack by counter-revolutionaries, campaign against toll gates and campaign for improving service delivery in the province in a manner that does not undermine our past decades achievements.

The two parties identified eMalahleni as a hot spot area for drug abuse and as a result of that the meeting resolved to roll out a joint programme that will send a clear message to drug lords to desist from their barbaric behaviour of destroying the future and the lives of our children.

The two partners agreed to jointly take up the campaigns and work together on mobilizing masses to support the SACP march against corruption and political killings in the province of Mpumalanga which is scheduled for the 26 July 2013.

On the ANC Relations

The two allies noted the unique features of our Alliance; peculiar only to South Africa, with a lot of contradictions that must be managed by the ANC, and the duty of the working class is to sharpen contradictions, that shall propel a way forward towards socialism.

The meeting further noted the improvement of our relations and the functioning of the Alliance in the Province since the Mangaung Conference, particularly, in terms of engagements on issues and consultation on crucial matters even though there is a lack of implementation of some decisions agreed upon which we are beginning to suspect that our relations are papered relations, cosmetic in nature, to manage us which is unacceptable.

However both parties re-affirmed the decision of the provincial alliance political council that the alliance secretariat meet on monthly basis and monitor the implementation of the alliance decision. That in each alliance Ten-A-Site meeting a scheduled of the implementation of the alliance decision to be submitted That an urgent provincial alliance political council be convened so as to resolve all outstanding matters before elections.

On SANCO

The two parties noted our cordial relationship with SANCO which is not ideologically due to the fact that SANCO is a community organisation and as such we must expect contradictions from time to time, however the meeting committed itself to support all programmes of SANCO and encourage our members to join and fully participate in SANCO programmes and campaigns

2014 General Elections

Both allies noted the challenges faced by the ANC in this coming General election and further engaged on the broader strategy towards 2014 General elections and finally agreed to work tirelessly, for the overwhelming victory of the ANC. The meeting re-committed itself to defend the ANC to remain in power, so as the NDR could be implemented to its logical conclusion.

Both allies further committed themselves to work very hard for hegemony of the ANC in hot spot areas that are targeted by opposition parties in our province so as to take responsibility of our struggle.

On Nelson Mandela State of Health

SACP and COSATU in Mpumalanga extend their support to the Family of Nelson Mandela and wish him well in this critical period.

Issued by:
SACP and COSATU Mpumalanga
Bonakele Majuba, SACP Provincial Secretary - 082 9684 877
Fidel Mlombo, COSATU Provincial Secretary - 079 5110 947

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