Tuesday, August 01, 2017

SACP 96th Anniversary
30 July 2017

Today, 30 July 2017 marks the 96th anniversary of the founding of our Party, initially known as the Communist Party of South Africa in 1921. The Party adopted its current name, the South African Communist Party in 1953 after it was banned by the apartheid regime in 1950 under the Suppression of Communism Act. The Communist Party became the first non-racial political organisation in South Africa and also fought against gender domination. It was its struggles to end capitalist class exploitation of workers in general, with black workers particularly worse off, that led to the Party declared the apartheid regime's enemy number one.

The Communist Party developed a clear grasp of the connection between national oppression, gender domination and capitalist class exploitation of workers in South Africa and on the other hand the external dimension of imperialism. Imperialist forces largely from Western Europe and North America controlled an enormous stake in the economy of South Africa. They backed the apartheid regime, in addition because of the Communist Party's anti-imperialist character.

The Communist Party, the second oldest political organisation in South Africa today and the largest Communist Party in Africa has achieved a massive growth after unbanning in 1990. At approximately 300, 000 members the SACP is the second largest political organisation in South Africa by audited membership. The Party's influence has substantially grown and continues to grow together with its robustly accelerating membership growth.

It was the SACP for instance expressing its concerns about rising corruption that was the first to point out that our country was faced with a problem of corporate state capture. It was the Party that first called for an independent judicial commission of inquiry into state capture. The Party's mobilisation to tackle the problem steadily took off the ground and eventually grew by leaps and bounds. The whole country across political divide, and many in their own ways in accordance with their independence, is now marching in this vanguard line - established by the SACP. The SACP pledges to remain unwavering until victory is fully secured against corporate state capture and its networks of patronage and looting of our national wealth and public resources.

The Party reaffirms its commitment to forging the broadest possible patriotic front to defend our country's constitution, deepen our national democracy and guard our democratic sovereignty.

Similarly South Africa needs maximum unity to address the quadruple challenge of crisis levels of inequality, unemployment, poverty and insecurity in our communities and our society in general. This includes working together to tackle the problem of violence, including gender based violence, and crime. In this regard the problems of human trafficking, drug dealing, drug and substance abuse are posing a serious threat to our society and the future of our youth.

The SACP emerged from its 14th Congress this month with policy resolutions in all of these and other areas. The Party will be engaging with South Africans in general and the workers and the poor in particular on working together towards a prosperous society. The Party will elaborate further on these matters in its comprehensive 96th Anniversary Statement to be delivered at its 96th Anniversary Rally.

The media is invited to cover the rally as follows.

SACP 96th Anniversary Rally

Date: 13 August 2017

Venue: Kimberly, Galeshewe, Mayibuye Multipurpose Centre

Keynote speaker: Cde Blade Nzimande

Other speakers: Alliance and YCLSA representatives

ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY | SACP

FOR GENERAL ENQUIRIES ON SACP STATEMENTS CONTACT:

National Spokesperson & Head of Communications
Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo
Mobile: +27 76 316 9816
Skype: MashiloAM

CIRCULATION & MEDIA LIAISON SERVICES

Communications Officer: Media Liaison Services, Digital and Social Media Co-ordinator
Hlengiwe Nkonyane
Mobile: +27 79 384 6550

OFFICE, WEBSITE, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, USTREAM TV CHANNEL

Office: +2711 339 3621/2
Twitter: SACP1921
Website: www.sacp.org.za
Facebook Page: South African Communist Party

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