COSATU led a protest march to Parliament in Cape Town as part of organised marches around the country on Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Discontent is growing among the workers in South Africa., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Joint press statement of South African Communist Party (SACP) And Congress Of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Gauteng Province
17 October 2012
The SACP and COSATU Gauteng Province held a bilateral meeting of their respective Office Bearers (OB`s) on Tuesday, 16th October 2012. The bilateral meeting discussed various issues, notably, the current political situation in the country and province, SACP 2012 Red October Campaign and the current challenges in the labour movement, in particular in the mining sector. The meeting appreciated the fact that it was taking place following the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of COSATU.
The Current Political Situation
The bilateral meeting reaffirmed the view that the principal and strategic challenges facing the working class in our country remain those of poverty, inequality and unemployment. In many respect, these challenges reflects the historic and deeper contradictions of race, class and gender.
The meeting noted the current and ongoing African National Congress (ANC) process of leadership nominations for the forthcoming 53rd National Conference to be held in Mangaung in December 2012.
Bilateral meeting reaffirmed the historic principle of the Alliance to respect each other`s independence and internal processes, especially nominations and elections of leadership.
Bilateral meeting however resolved to strengthen efforts to maintain maximum unity of the ANC as a basis and precondition for the unity of the Alliance taking into account that this is the year of the Centenary of the ANC.
It was in this context that the bilateral meeting took note of the ANC PEC in Gauteng to call for change of leadership in the National Conference in Mangaung.
Bilateral meeting resolved to respect the right of the ANC PEC to pronounce on any position as it pleases, whilst appreciating that ANC branches will have a final say on the matter.
Bilateral expressed confidence that ANC branches will certainly express themselves in a manner that is consistent with the values, principles and unifying perspectives of the 1912 ANC founding Congress. Bilateral resolved to defend and consolidate the leadership collective under President Jacob Zuma.
Challenges in the Mining sector
Bilateral meeting noted the current and ongoing challenges in the mining sector, especially the wave of systematic and organised attacks against the revolutionary and historic bedrock of our entire revolutionary movement, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
Meeting also noted emerging tendencies of establishing splinter trade unions. Meeting condemned violence and murder of workers, especially leaders of the NUM.
Bilateral meeting resolved to convene a full PEC bilateral meeting before end of this year to develop a concrete programme of action to respond adequately to this challenge.
SACP 2012 Red October Campaign
SACP briefed Cosatu on its plans for the 2012 Red October Campaign to take place as
follows:
1. Protest march to the South African Broadcasting Cooperation (SABC) to present a memorandum of demands. The march will proceed to the Library Gardens to stage an Anti-Corruption Rally. These events will take place on Sunday, 21st October 2012 starting at 10h00 at the SABC. Anti-Corruption Rally will start at 12h00.
2. SACP Lecture on the Centenary of the ANC to be held on Sunday, the 28th October 2012 at Wits University in Johannesburg at 10H00. SACP will host the ANC Centenary Flame as part of the celebration.
3. SACP Anti-Corruption and service delivery protest march against the Democratic Alliance (DA) controlled MidVaal Municipality. SACP is currently engaging law enforcement authorities at a Provincial Government level to secure the permission to gather and stage a protest march in the municipality after refusal by the DA mismanaged municipality to grant SACP permission to gather and protest.
Issued on behalf of SACP and COSATU Gauteng
SACP Provincial Secretary: Mamabolo Jacob: 082 884 1868
COSATU Provincial Secretary: Dumisani Dakile: 082 727 1422
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