Central Committee Message at the Funeral of Comrade Nontsikelelo Blose Delivered by Deputy National Chairperson Thulas Nxesi
28 August 2016, Inchanga
The SACP was and remains deeply saddened by the news that one of our own, Comrade Nontsikelelo Blose was shot dead. We express our message of heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, comrades and the community. As the SACP we are saying never, and never again, must any part of our country become a playing field of criminals and unscrupulous politicians who use violence and murder as instruments of political engagement. No community must feel to be without protection, while law enforcement agencies exist.
The SACP is calling on law enforcement agencies to perform their work and perform it diligently. Law enforcement agencies must ensure public safety and security. But alone law enforcement agencies will not succeed. We cannot allow murderers to loiter around in our communities and do as they please without any lawful defence on the part of the community.
We are calling on all our communities to unite, more than ever before, and leave no inch to the murderers - regardless of the masks and colours those murderers are wearing. As the Central Committee, we urge and task SACP branches to take a lead in defence of our communities, to advance community interests without fear or favour. No murderer must think they can kill an SACP or community member and simply run away with murder. There must be consequences.
Let us take our cue from the revolutionary spirit of Comrade Nontsikelelo Blose. She was deeply involved in community structures. Comrade Nontsikelelo Blose was the leading torch bearer not only of the SACP but also of the ANC in the in the community. She witnessed, together with other comrades, the murder of Comrade Phillip Dlamini in January. Her murder was committed while she was due to testify in the trial of the alleged killers of Comrade Phillip Dlamini.
The murder of Comrade Nontsikelelo Blose should not be seen as an isolated incident. It must be viewed as a part of the killings that the SACP has suffered. It must be seen as a culmination of the persecutions she endured since she witnessed the murder of Comrade Phillip Dlamini. Let us take our cue from the revolutionary spirit of Comrade Nontsikelelo Blose, who was never discouraged to ensure justice for Comrade Phillip Dlamini, his family and community.
Comrade Nontsikelelo Blose fought for justice politically as well. She challenged the distortion of internal democracy in the ANC, including in the selection of councillor candidates. She made her strategic discipline clearly known.
The 3 August 2016 local government elections have emphasised the very serious trajectory of steep decline in popular support for the ANC. While at 54% the ANC still remains the electoral choice of the majority of South Africans, the gradual decline in support over several past elections and now the precipitous decline across most provinces and in urban as well as rural areas is a sobering indication of a trend. This loss of momentum, if not addressed, will accelerate.
It is not, of course, just the electoral results of that are of concern. These results are less the consequence of opposition parties progressing and rather more the consequence of serious and systemic problems within the ANC.
Systemic money-driven factionalism from top to bottom. The 20 intra-ANC assassinations in the run-up to the elections and the subsequent assassination of another ANC councillor-elect in Tsolo is an indication of just how dangerously sick large parts of the ANC have become.
Related to all of the above is the endemic corruption in and corporate capture of much of the ANC's institutional machinery. This results in brazen manipulation of internal elections, membership lists, deployments, etc.
Not since 2007 have we seen such visible signs of division amongst the national leadership and the wilful bypassing of ANC- and cabinet-mandated positions on things like the SABC, SAA, digital migration, nuclear, Marius Fransman, etc. etc.
There is a climate of extreme recklessness in the ANC and in government and across many parastatals. While successive ANC conferences, and also alliance summits, have recognised many of these features IN GENERAL - corruption, sins of incumbency, factionalism, growing social distance from our mass base, etc. - IN PRACTICE the ANC national, provincial and regional leaderships generally show little collective willingness or capacity to deal decisively with the issues.
If we this trend continues it will eventually negate the entire democratic hegemony of our ANC-led movement. We might as well kiss 2019 goodbye.
As the SACP we are calling for maximum and principled unity of our movement to address and resolve all the problems behind the electoral and hegemonic decline of the ANC and not just identify what they are without being seen solving them in practice. The success of this task we owe to our fallen stalwart, Comrade Nontsikelelo Blose!
Issued by the SACP
SACP members turn out in droves for slain activist’s funeral
ANA
INCHANGA - 28 August 2016 - Thousands turned up for the funeral of slain SA Communist Party member Nontsikelelo Blose who was gunned down a week earlier at a tavern in violence linked to divisions between the SACP and its alliance partner the African National Congress. Picture: Giordano Stolley/ANA
Following Blose’s killing, members of the SACP went on the rampage burning a number of houses. A local African National Congress Youth League leader Xolani Ngcobo was killed during the rampage.
About 3000 SACP supporters on Sunday attended the funeral of Nontsikelelo Blose, who was shot dead a week ago at a tavern in Inchanga, about halfway between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
The Nondlini Sport and Community Centre Hall in Inchanga was packed to capacity with party supporters in red T-shirts, family members, and a large press contingent. A few hundred supporters milled around outside the hall, unable to gain entry.
The funeral was also attended by former eThekwini metro mayor James Nxumalo, who is also the provincial chairman of the SACP. Other notables included SACP KwaZulu-Natal secretary Themba Mthembu and SACP deputy national chairman Thulas Nxesi.
There was a heavy police presence throughout Inchanga, which falls into Durban’s embattled ward 4.
Blose, a local SACP leader who was a witness in the case of five men accused of killing SACP supporter Philip Dlamini, was shot dead at a tavern last Sunday. The Sunday Tribune reported that she was at the tavern with Nxumalo’s son and her daughter when she was shot. Nxumalo’s son Wandile Nxumalo was quoted by the newspaper as saying that the two men had intended shooting him, but Blose had instead been shot.
Following Blose’s killing, members of the SACP went on the rampage burning a number of houses. A local African National Congress Youth League leader Xolani Ngcobo was killed during the rampage.
The ward has been divided between members of the ANC and the SACP since the nomination of candidates to stand in the August 3 local government elections started last year. Earlier this year, two people, including Dlamini, were killed in the dispute. Since then tensions have been high despite visits to the area by several high ranking SACP and ANC members trying to heal the rift.
SACP members claim they were blocked from participating in the branch nominations for councillor candidates. On August 3, SACP member Petrus Nxumalo, a cousin of the former mayor, stood as an independent and won the ward. Ngcobo’s funeral was also set to be held on Sunday.
– African News Agency (ANA)
The SACP was and remains deeply saddened by the news that one of our own, Comrade Nontsikelelo Blose was shot dead. We express our message of heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, comrades and the community. As the SACP we are saying never, and never again, must any part of our country become a playing field of criminals and unscrupulous politicians who use violence and murder as instruments of political engagement. No community must feel to be without protection, while law enforcement agencies exist.
The SACP is calling on law enforcement agencies to perform their work and perform it diligently. Law enforcement agencies must ensure public safety and security. But alone law enforcement agencies will not succeed. We cannot allow murderers to loiter around in our communities and do as they please without any lawful defence on the part of the community.
We are calling on all our communities to unite, more than ever before, and leave no inch to the murderers - regardless of the masks and colours those murderers are wearing. As the Central Committee, we urge and task SACP branches to take a lead in defence of our communities, to advance community interests without fear or favour. No murderer must think they can kill an SACP or community member and simply run away with murder. There must be consequences.
Let us take our cue from the revolutionary spirit of Comrade Nontsikelelo Blose. She was deeply involved in community structures. Comrade Nontsikelelo Blose was the leading torch bearer not only of the SACP but also of the ANC in the in the community. She witnessed, together with other comrades, the murder of Comrade Phillip Dlamini in January. Her murder was committed while she was due to testify in the trial of the alleged killers of Comrade Phillip Dlamini.
The murder of Comrade Nontsikelelo Blose should not be seen as an isolated incident. It must be viewed as a part of the killings that the SACP has suffered. It must be seen as a culmination of the persecutions she endured since she witnessed the murder of Comrade Phillip Dlamini. Let us take our cue from the revolutionary spirit of Comrade Nontsikelelo Blose, who was never discouraged to ensure justice for Comrade Phillip Dlamini, his family and community.
Comrade Nontsikelelo Blose fought for justice politically as well. She challenged the distortion of internal democracy in the ANC, including in the selection of councillor candidates. She made her strategic discipline clearly known.
The 3 August 2016 local government elections have emphasised the very serious trajectory of steep decline in popular support for the ANC. While at 54% the ANC still remains the electoral choice of the majority of South Africans, the gradual decline in support over several past elections and now the precipitous decline across most provinces and in urban as well as rural areas is a sobering indication of a trend. This loss of momentum, if not addressed, will accelerate.
It is not, of course, just the electoral results of that are of concern. These results are less the consequence of opposition parties progressing and rather more the consequence of serious and systemic problems within the ANC.
Systemic money-driven factionalism from top to bottom. The 20 intra-ANC assassinations in the run-up to the elections and the subsequent assassination of another ANC councillor-elect in Tsolo is an indication of just how dangerously sick large parts of the ANC have become.
Related to all of the above is the endemic corruption in and corporate capture of much of the ANC's institutional machinery. This results in brazen manipulation of internal elections, membership lists, deployments, etc.
Not since 2007 have we seen such visible signs of division amongst the national leadership and the wilful bypassing of ANC- and cabinet-mandated positions on things like the SABC, SAA, digital migration, nuclear, Marius Fransman, etc. etc.
There is a climate of extreme recklessness in the ANC and in government and across many parastatals. While successive ANC conferences, and also alliance summits, have recognised many of these features IN GENERAL - corruption, sins of incumbency, factionalism, growing social distance from our mass base, etc. - IN PRACTICE the ANC national, provincial and regional leaderships generally show little collective willingness or capacity to deal decisively with the issues.
If we this trend continues it will eventually negate the entire democratic hegemony of our ANC-led movement. We might as well kiss 2019 goodbye.
As the SACP we are calling for maximum and principled unity of our movement to address and resolve all the problems behind the electoral and hegemonic decline of the ANC and not just identify what they are without being seen solving them in practice. The success of this task we owe to our fallen stalwart, Comrade Nontsikelelo Blose!
Issued by the SACP
SACP members turn out in droves for slain activist’s funeral
ANA
INCHANGA - 28 August 2016 - Thousands turned up for the funeral of slain SA Communist Party member Nontsikelelo Blose who was gunned down a week earlier at a tavern in violence linked to divisions between the SACP and its alliance partner the African National Congress. Picture: Giordano Stolley/ANA
Following Blose’s killing, members of the SACP went on the rampage burning a number of houses. A local African National Congress Youth League leader Xolani Ngcobo was killed during the rampage.
About 3000 SACP supporters on Sunday attended the funeral of Nontsikelelo Blose, who was shot dead a week ago at a tavern in Inchanga, about halfway between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
The Nondlini Sport and Community Centre Hall in Inchanga was packed to capacity with party supporters in red T-shirts, family members, and a large press contingent. A few hundred supporters milled around outside the hall, unable to gain entry.
The funeral was also attended by former eThekwini metro mayor James Nxumalo, who is also the provincial chairman of the SACP. Other notables included SACP KwaZulu-Natal secretary Themba Mthembu and SACP deputy national chairman Thulas Nxesi.
There was a heavy police presence throughout Inchanga, which falls into Durban’s embattled ward 4.
Blose, a local SACP leader who was a witness in the case of five men accused of killing SACP supporter Philip Dlamini, was shot dead at a tavern last Sunday. The Sunday Tribune reported that she was at the tavern with Nxumalo’s son and her daughter when she was shot. Nxumalo’s son Wandile Nxumalo was quoted by the newspaper as saying that the two men had intended shooting him, but Blose had instead been shot.
Following Blose’s killing, members of the SACP went on the rampage burning a number of houses. A local African National Congress Youth League leader Xolani Ngcobo was killed during the rampage.
The ward has been divided between members of the ANC and the SACP since the nomination of candidates to stand in the August 3 local government elections started last year. Earlier this year, two people, including Dlamini, were killed in the dispute. Since then tensions have been high despite visits to the area by several high ranking SACP and ANC members trying to heal the rift.
SACP members claim they were blocked from participating in the branch nominations for councillor candidates. On August 3, SACP member Petrus Nxumalo, a cousin of the former mayor, stood as an independent and won the ward. Ngcobo’s funeral was also set to be held on Sunday.
– African News Agency (ANA)
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