South African Communist Party Targets Banks in Red October Activities

Delegates at the South African Communist Party (SACP) Congress held in July 2012., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

SACP Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee statement

13 October 2013

SACP GAUTENG TO MARCH TO BANKING COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICA, STANDARD BANK SOUTH AFRICA AND THE JOHANNESBURG HOUSING COMPANY AS PART OF THE ANNUAL RED OCTOBER CAMPAIGN ON FRIDAY, 18TH OCTOBER 2013

Following the successful national launch of the 2013 Red October Campaign last Sunday in the Free State province, the SACP in Gauteng Province will stage a provincial protest on Friday, 18th October 2013 by marching against the Banking Council of South Africa, the Standard Bank and the Johannesburg Housing Company as part of our launch of the Campaign in the province.

The Red October Campaign is the annual SACP national campaign that seeks to consolidate, take forward and defend the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) by highlighting and taking up key and strategic issues facing the working class and the poor.

As announced during the national launch by the SACP General Secretary, Dr Blade Nzimande, the focus of the 2013 Red October Campaign is on the Financial Sector Transformation and Diversification Campaign, targeting financial monopoly capital in our country.

Protest March against the Banking Council, Standard Bank and the Johannesburg Housing Company

The strategic thrust of the march to be held on Friday, 18th October 2013 against the Banking Council of South Africa whose Head Office is located in Parktown, Johannesburg, will be to confront and challenge banks to play a key and strategic role in national development, in particular the roll-out of Infrastructure programme in our country and the transformation of the sector. We will also call on the Banking Council to tighten regulation against the danger by banks of plunging working class households into massive debts through reckless lending.

The march will also protest against the role that banks plays in housing evictions, in particular, the rules relating to foreclosures and the sale of repossessed properties, which renders many working class households homeless.

In this regard we also note the collusion by banks, working with various forces involved in the housing and land market, such as was the case with the Democratic Alliance controlled Mid-vaal Local Municipality to repossess people"s houses and many other working class communities in Gauteng province. Public Protector"s office exposed this rot in a scathing report against Mr Timothy Nast"s municipality.

The march will also proceed to the Standard Bank Head Office in the inner City of Johannesburg. The purpose of this march is to protest against the morally repugnant relationship between the Standard Bank and the Johannesburg Housing Company, a section 21 inner-city housing monopoly.

We firmly believe that Standard Bank financially benefitted from the controversial and corrupt transaction that led to the subsequent liquidation and acquisition of the Newtown Housing Village by its client, the JHC.

We also challenge Standard Bank to come clean on the financial role and support they provided, such as the extension of credit facility and other financial support in the entire process that finally rendered the people of Newtown Housing Village homeless. We challenge Standard bank to disclose all details relating to their dealings with JHC and to immediately reverse any contractual arrangements they have with JHC with respect to the "eviction transaction".

Protest March to the Johannesburg Housing Company

On the same day, (18th October 2013) the march will proceed to Johannesburg Housing Company Head Office in the CBD to demand the immediate return of the acquisition of the property that was controversially acquired against the Cooperative that run the Newtown Housing Village on behalf of the working class and poor of Newtown.

The march to JHC will also seek to highlight the role that we believe the JHC played in the final liquidation of the Cooperative. We will challenge the JHC to come clean on the facts relating to how they acquired their property known as Carr Gardens which is neighbouring the Newtown Housing Village.

We are also aware that given the proximity of the two properties, (build on same government land that according to evidence available to us at this point was given only to Newtown Housing Village), the JHC at some point managed the Newtown Housing Village as reported by residents. We will challenge the JHC on whether they in any way played a role in the final liquidation and run-down of the Cooperative. We will challenge the JHC to provide documents and proof of their purchase and acquisition of the land on which they build Carr Gardens already in 1998, same time that Newtown Housing Village was under construction.

We will also call for a full forensic investigation by government on the activities of the JHC relating to Carr Gardens and the subsequent liquidation and purchasing in a public auction of its neighbouring property, Newtown Housing Village. We believe there is more to this issue than meets the eye.

It is our view that it surely cannot be just a mistake of history that JHC acquired a property neighbouring its own, build almost at the same time and on same government land. It is important to establish all facts underpinning the liquidation and re-purchase by JHC.

Red Imbizo in Thokoza and Red October Memorial Lecture in Tshwane Mamelodi

As part of the Red October activities, the SACP will hold a Red Imbizo in Thokoza to engage the community on the severe effects and in memory of the past events of the early 1990"s that saw the death of many cadres as a result of the violence in the area. The SACP will visit the site of remembrance of the fallen heroes and later engage the community. The event will be held on the 26th October 2013 in Thokoza.

The SACP will also host a Red October Lecture on the significance of the 1917 Great October Socialist Revolution and its practical meaning to our revolution today. The lecture will also be part of our activities to prepare for the Centenary of this revolution in 2017, and this will also serve as a prelude to the SACP"s centenary in 2021.

Following the lecture, SACP members will conduct a door-to-door campaign (Know Your Neighbourhood) in Mamelodi East as part of ensuring that the ANC decisively wins national and provincial elections in 2014. The Red October Lecture will be held at the University of Pretoria, Mamelodi campus on the 10th October 2013.

Continued solidarity with working class communities in Gauteng, in particular the people of Lenasia, Zamimpilo, Elias Motsoaledi, Bekkersdal and others.

The SACP will also use the Red October month to pledge solidarity with the people of Lenasia, taking into account that November 2013, marks a year since the most inhuman and barbaric demolition of their houses. We are deeply shocked that almost a year, not a single household or family has been assisted to resolve this issue. The SACP thus support the Lenasia Concerned Residents Association decision to stage a protest march on the 08 November 2013 to the Minister of Human Settlements to demand answers on the demolition of their houses. The Lenasia residents will also take the matter to the public protector to demand an investigation and that all culprits be brought to book.

The SACP welcome the decision of the African National Congress (ANC) as the leader of the Alliance to send a high level delegation to meet and engage the people and working class of Bekkersdal. This is to hear their demand that the Greater Westonaria Local Municipality be placed under administration and for the resolution of other service delivery demands. We are deeply pleased that community leaders have agreed to engage the delegation of the ANC. The SACP will continue to work with its Alliance partners to ensure that the demands of the people of Bekkersdal and many other communities in Gauteng receive the necessary attention .

We also note the planned protest by the SACP District of Tshwane on the 25 October 2013 to demand the immediate re-instatement of the workers that were initially employed by labour broker company known as Capacity. The contracts of these workers were terminated based on an agreement that they will be permanently re-employed by the City. We call on the City of Tshwane to urgently resolve this matter and honour the commitments it has made to these poor workers who are predominantly youth. These workers started working for the City as 2010 Soccer World Cup volunteers. We believe they deserve better.

SACP meeting with the Tembisa Hospital

SACP met with Intern Doctors and Nursing students at Tembisa Hospital on Friday, 11th October 2013. The meeting was facilitated by trade unions DENOSA and SAMA. The SACP appreciates the discipline and commitment shown by the nursing students and intern doctors to serve the working class and poor in the midst of complex problems facing hospitals and the health sector in our country. We comment the students for their revolutionary conduct and commitment in this regard.

The SACP was deeply pleased by the swift action taken by MEC Hope Papo to ensure that the accommodation problems raised by the intern doctors were in the meantime resolved whilst finding a sustainable solution to the problem.

SACP was however concerned about a series of allegations levelled by both groups of students on the violation of their human rights as a result of the manner in which the hospital management handled their housing problems, especially their forced eviction and removal from their residences.

SACP believe that the students and their unions should formally table their concerns, and that allegations of human rights violations should be properly investigated by the SA Human Rights Commission. We call for proper and improved relations between stakeholders in hospitals to serve the interests of the most vulnerable working class and poor people, especially women, children, elderly and people with disability.

Issued on behalf of the SACP Gauteng Province

Contact:
Mamabolo Jacob: Provincial Secretary: 082 884 1868
Lucian Segami: Provincial Spokesperson: 079 522 0098