SACP Free State Provincial Executive Committee Statement
14 September 2017
The 7th Provincial Congress Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) of the South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Province of Free State held a successful 5th Plenary Session from 9-10 September 2017 at the Multipurpose Centre in Zamdela, Sasolburg. The PEC received and discussed the Provincial Political, Secretariat and Financial Reports and a political input from our Party Central Committee (CC) delivered by Second Deputy General Secretary, comrade Chris Mathlako.
These inputs provided a scientific basis for evaluation of the SACP 14th National Congress and focused political discussions on contemporary developments, including their socio-economic impacts on society and the national and provincial economy. Related to these was a focus on strengthening and building a robust independent vanguard Party capable of responding to the pressing challenges of the working class and the poor.
The PEC further expressed its gratitude towards the 13th National Congress Central Committee and the team of deployees to the Free State, of which comrade Mathlako was the convenor. The deployees were congratulated for being re-elected into the 14th National Congress Central Committee with comrade Mathlako elected as our 2nd Deputy General Secretary.
Evaluations of the SACP 14th National Congress
The PEC agreed that the ability of the 14th Congress to accurately identify the South African capitalist economy, with its persisting core-periphery colonial legacy features, as the main challenge confronting the national democratic revolution provided a sound scientific basis and framework for coherent approach to the work of Congress.
Related to this, is the correct resolve to intensify and coordinate efforts against the attrition and reversal of the democratic and constitutional gains by the parasitic patronage network through looting of the state resources and corporate capture of the movement and institutions of the state.
Recognition of these parasitic network by Congress as representing the immediate threats to the national democratic revolution and our sovereignty was critical in informing the short to medium term strategic tasks of the SACP in an effort to rescue the South African revolution. This is important to restore the strategic capacity of the ANC-led Alliance to confront the societal challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality reproduced by monopoly capitalist economy in South Africa.
The PEC further appreciated the preparation and presentation of all Congress discussion documents by the Study Groups and the quality of debates at the Provincial Council. These empowered our delegates to make meaningful contributions at the 14th Congress. The PEC reflected on the continued growth in membership. It was noted that growth in membership is dominated by members whose profile belongs to the classes and strata the Party seeks to lead.
The PEC welcomed this development, together with a resolution on strengthening and institutionalising political education and ideological training at all level. This growth is part of the success and continued task of building a vanguard party with a relatively mass character, presence and influence in all key sites of power.
Build a campaigning Party and mobilise for Patriotic and Popular Fronts
The PEC committed to focus on building a strong, militant and campaigning Party, informed by the injunction quoted at the 14th Congress that "the Communist Party was always a party of militants and activists and never had room for passengers". In this regard, the PEC resolved to synergise and align the Provincial Congress resolutions with the 14th Congress resolutions and update the Party programmes and campaigns in the province.
Building a campaigning Party is an important task linked, on the one hand, to the mobilisation of a broad patriotic front of forces against corporate capture of the state, reversal of our democratic gains, attack on our constitution and national sovereignty. On the other hand, a popular front build through a campaigning Party working in tandem with the working class and progressive formations, committed to the attainment of the objectives of the national democratic revolution through a reconfigured alliance is indispensable.
The PEC agreed that this is an important task for which our Party has a leadership role to play. The PEC resolved on a need for uncompromising provincial focused campaigns against instances of maladministration, corruption and corporate capture of our provincial and local government, whenever they occur. Related to all these and in line with CC commitment, we committed to engage COSATU PEC in the Free state and support COSATU's Section 77 application through active mobilisation for the National Day of action against state capture and corruption.
The PEC further condemned the repugnant stealing of R30 millions of government resources meant for a dairy farm in Vrede to fund the lavish wedding of a seemingly perilous foreign Gupta family. The Gupta leaks; provides a glimpse of prima facie evidence of a family, aided by its associates, menacing our state purse through the smash and grab, cash-and-carry accumulation path. The SACP calls on the criminal justice institutions to establish the full facts and criminally pursue the Guptas and their complicit accomplices in the Free State provincial government involved in this extortion of public funds. The SACP has engaged and agreed with COSATU in the province to give the Vrede Dairy Farm focused attention.
The SACP, together with COSATU and other progressive formations have agreed to mobilise support for the national day of action on evictions. Free State has a high percentage of illegal mass evictions in farms and the super-exploitation of farm workers is rampant across the province. Farm evictions adds to the misery already inflicted on women on the basics of patriarchal relations. Related to these, there has been an increase in unacceptable acts of violence and killing of women and children in the country.
The PEC condemned all acts and forms of violence against women and children and welcomed the CC decision to dedicate the Red October campaign on Know and act in your neighbourhood to focus on violence against women and children. The PEC commended the good work performed by the progressive Izwe-Lethu Le Rona Rebatho non-profit making organisation (NPO) in fighting farm evictions and ensuring farm communities benefit from the farms they work on. The SACP is organising picketing in various districts against farm evictions in the province on 15 September 2017 as part of National Day of Action Against evictions.
The PEC noted the successful march by SACP Albert Nzula District in continuing the commendable and relentless struggle against JDT Mine. The PEC agreed to provide greater support to the District to increase pressure on the mine to accede to a percentage ownership by mine employees and practical contribution to social and economic infrastructure, decent jobs and investment in productive sector to resuscitate local economic development in this rural area.
The PEC agreed to continue with the campaign for provision of water in Thabo Mofutsanyana District until all areas of Qwaqwa has access to water. Access to water is a fundamental human right and the SACP believes if the municipality had a fit and proper leadership, this would be the apex priority in the municipality. The SACP is concerned that the mayor of Maluti a Phofung Municipality continues to prioritise costly non-core activities such as staging parties for the notorious Hlaudi Motsoeneng, Dipontsho activities and erection of huge billboards advertising himself, whilst neglecting community demands for access to water and electricity.
The PEC further agreed that the campaign on the re-nationalisation of Sasol Firm must be intensified and synchronised with the SACP in Mpumalanga province to increase pressure on the firm on all fronts. This campaign will continue until the firm respond practically to the immediate demands made through our memorandum during a march earlier this year and until the firm is ultimately renationalised for effective socialisation.
The PEC welcomed the Bloemfontein Supreme Court of Appeals' decision to reject the release of Janusz Walus, the unrepentant murderer of our late General Secretary comrade Chris Hani. The PEC appreciated those who joined SACP organised picketing outside the Appeals Court during the hearings in Bloemfontein. First Deputy General Secretary comrade Solly Mapaila joined the Mnguni family at the hearing of the murder case of the late comrade Phajane Mnguni, a leader of CEPPWAWU local at Sasolburg Magistrate Court last week. The Court found the two murders guilty and handed down two life sentences in jail for both.
Re-run of Metsimaholo Local Municipal elections
The Metsimaholo Municipal Council was dissolved in accordance with Section 139 (d) for failure to approve a budget for over a period of three months due to a hung council. Prior to the 3 August 2016 elections, the SACP in the province warned and engaged the leadership of the ANC to resolve key issues, which included many workers who were unfairly fired at the municipality and other community concerns to avoid an imminent loss of the municipality. The ANC lost control of the municipality to a coalition of opposition parties primarily because these key issues were not resolved.
The PEC discussed the upcoming municipal election re-run and the current political situation in the municipality and came to the conclusion that, the main issues that led to the loss of control of the municipality in the 3 August 2016 elections remains fundamentally unresolved. The SACP and COSATU in the province have been consistently and painstakingly engaging and calling on the provincial leadership of the ANC since 2014 to implement alliance decisions taken on these issues to no avail thus far.
This partly inform the view held and previously communicated by the SACP PEC that the leadership of the ANC in the province seems preoccupied with other peripheral issues thus unwilling or incapable of providing the much needed leadership of the revolution. Consistent strategic leadership to the national democratic revolution is lacking and is usurped, and subordinated to what appears to be factional dominance.
The SACP has a major responsibility and a vanguard role to defend, advance and deepen the national democratic revolution. The PEC agreed that the issue of the unfairly dismissed municipal employees and the need for their return to employment in accordance with alliance decision in the province is not a bargaining matter but a matter of principle. The PEC agreed to further interact directly with our structures, workers in general, including the politically dismissed municipal workers and broader community within the municipality.
Guided by strategic consistency, analytical alertness and tactical flexibility, these interactions would help in providing concrete analysis and a clear guidance on how best to defend and advance the national democratic revolution. This will also inform further discussion with central leadership of the Party and the alliance.
University of Free state (UFS) SRC elections
The PEC congratulated the YCLSA for contesting and winning the SRC Presidency against an independent candidate and other opposition student formations in UFS. The YCLSA was the only PYA component registered in terms of University rules and requirements to contest elections. The PEC appreciates the efforts of the YCLSA UFS branch in engaging and persuading other PYA components to reach an agreement prior to contesting. In this regard, the SACP shall work with the YCLSA in its endeavors for the unity of the PYA in the institution and to work jointly in servicing the student population of UFS.
Issued by SACP Free State
Bheke Stofile - SACP Free State Provincial Secretary
Mobile: 071 600 4899
Or
Phillip Kganyago - SACP Free State Provincial Spokesperson
Mobile: 071 896 0157
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY | SACP
FOR GENERAL ENQUIRIES ON SACP STATEMENTS CONTACT:
Mhlekwa Nxumalo: Acting National Spokesperson
Mobile: +27 76 316 9816
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
SACP Ustream TV Channel: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sacp-tv
The 7th Provincial Congress Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) of the South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Province of Free State held a successful 5th Plenary Session from 9-10 September 2017 at the Multipurpose Centre in Zamdela, Sasolburg. The PEC received and discussed the Provincial Political, Secretariat and Financial Reports and a political input from our Party Central Committee (CC) delivered by Second Deputy General Secretary, comrade Chris Mathlako.
These inputs provided a scientific basis for evaluation of the SACP 14th National Congress and focused political discussions on contemporary developments, including their socio-economic impacts on society and the national and provincial economy. Related to these was a focus on strengthening and building a robust independent vanguard Party capable of responding to the pressing challenges of the working class and the poor.
The PEC further expressed its gratitude towards the 13th National Congress Central Committee and the team of deployees to the Free State, of which comrade Mathlako was the convenor. The deployees were congratulated for being re-elected into the 14th National Congress Central Committee with comrade Mathlako elected as our 2nd Deputy General Secretary.
Evaluations of the SACP 14th National Congress
The PEC agreed that the ability of the 14th Congress to accurately identify the South African capitalist economy, with its persisting core-periphery colonial legacy features, as the main challenge confronting the national democratic revolution provided a sound scientific basis and framework for coherent approach to the work of Congress.
Related to this, is the correct resolve to intensify and coordinate efforts against the attrition and reversal of the democratic and constitutional gains by the parasitic patronage network through looting of the state resources and corporate capture of the movement and institutions of the state.
Recognition of these parasitic network by Congress as representing the immediate threats to the national democratic revolution and our sovereignty was critical in informing the short to medium term strategic tasks of the SACP in an effort to rescue the South African revolution. This is important to restore the strategic capacity of the ANC-led Alliance to confront the societal challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality reproduced by monopoly capitalist economy in South Africa.
The PEC further appreciated the preparation and presentation of all Congress discussion documents by the Study Groups and the quality of debates at the Provincial Council. These empowered our delegates to make meaningful contributions at the 14th Congress. The PEC reflected on the continued growth in membership. It was noted that growth in membership is dominated by members whose profile belongs to the classes and strata the Party seeks to lead.
The PEC welcomed this development, together with a resolution on strengthening and institutionalising political education and ideological training at all level. This growth is part of the success and continued task of building a vanguard party with a relatively mass character, presence and influence in all key sites of power.
Build a campaigning Party and mobilise for Patriotic and Popular Fronts
The PEC committed to focus on building a strong, militant and campaigning Party, informed by the injunction quoted at the 14th Congress that "the Communist Party was always a party of militants and activists and never had room for passengers". In this regard, the PEC resolved to synergise and align the Provincial Congress resolutions with the 14th Congress resolutions and update the Party programmes and campaigns in the province.
Building a campaigning Party is an important task linked, on the one hand, to the mobilisation of a broad patriotic front of forces against corporate capture of the state, reversal of our democratic gains, attack on our constitution and national sovereignty. On the other hand, a popular front build through a campaigning Party working in tandem with the working class and progressive formations, committed to the attainment of the objectives of the national democratic revolution through a reconfigured alliance is indispensable.
The PEC agreed that this is an important task for which our Party has a leadership role to play. The PEC resolved on a need for uncompromising provincial focused campaigns against instances of maladministration, corruption and corporate capture of our provincial and local government, whenever they occur. Related to all these and in line with CC commitment, we committed to engage COSATU PEC in the Free state and support COSATU's Section 77 application through active mobilisation for the National Day of action against state capture and corruption.
The PEC further condemned the repugnant stealing of R30 millions of government resources meant for a dairy farm in Vrede to fund the lavish wedding of a seemingly perilous foreign Gupta family. The Gupta leaks; provides a glimpse of prima facie evidence of a family, aided by its associates, menacing our state purse through the smash and grab, cash-and-carry accumulation path. The SACP calls on the criminal justice institutions to establish the full facts and criminally pursue the Guptas and their complicit accomplices in the Free State provincial government involved in this extortion of public funds. The SACP has engaged and agreed with COSATU in the province to give the Vrede Dairy Farm focused attention.
The SACP, together with COSATU and other progressive formations have agreed to mobilise support for the national day of action on evictions. Free State has a high percentage of illegal mass evictions in farms and the super-exploitation of farm workers is rampant across the province. Farm evictions adds to the misery already inflicted on women on the basics of patriarchal relations. Related to these, there has been an increase in unacceptable acts of violence and killing of women and children in the country.
The PEC condemned all acts and forms of violence against women and children and welcomed the CC decision to dedicate the Red October campaign on Know and act in your neighbourhood to focus on violence against women and children. The PEC commended the good work performed by the progressive Izwe-Lethu Le Rona Rebatho non-profit making organisation (NPO) in fighting farm evictions and ensuring farm communities benefit from the farms they work on. The SACP is organising picketing in various districts against farm evictions in the province on 15 September 2017 as part of National Day of Action Against evictions.
The PEC noted the successful march by SACP Albert Nzula District in continuing the commendable and relentless struggle against JDT Mine. The PEC agreed to provide greater support to the District to increase pressure on the mine to accede to a percentage ownership by mine employees and practical contribution to social and economic infrastructure, decent jobs and investment in productive sector to resuscitate local economic development in this rural area.
The PEC agreed to continue with the campaign for provision of water in Thabo Mofutsanyana District until all areas of Qwaqwa has access to water. Access to water is a fundamental human right and the SACP believes if the municipality had a fit and proper leadership, this would be the apex priority in the municipality. The SACP is concerned that the mayor of Maluti a Phofung Municipality continues to prioritise costly non-core activities such as staging parties for the notorious Hlaudi Motsoeneng, Dipontsho activities and erection of huge billboards advertising himself, whilst neglecting community demands for access to water and electricity.
The PEC further agreed that the campaign on the re-nationalisation of Sasol Firm must be intensified and synchronised with the SACP in Mpumalanga province to increase pressure on the firm on all fronts. This campaign will continue until the firm respond practically to the immediate demands made through our memorandum during a march earlier this year and until the firm is ultimately renationalised for effective socialisation.
The PEC welcomed the Bloemfontein Supreme Court of Appeals' decision to reject the release of Janusz Walus, the unrepentant murderer of our late General Secretary comrade Chris Hani. The PEC appreciated those who joined SACP organised picketing outside the Appeals Court during the hearings in Bloemfontein. First Deputy General Secretary comrade Solly Mapaila joined the Mnguni family at the hearing of the murder case of the late comrade Phajane Mnguni, a leader of CEPPWAWU local at Sasolburg Magistrate Court last week. The Court found the two murders guilty and handed down two life sentences in jail for both.
Re-run of Metsimaholo Local Municipal elections
The Metsimaholo Municipal Council was dissolved in accordance with Section 139 (d) for failure to approve a budget for over a period of three months due to a hung council. Prior to the 3 August 2016 elections, the SACP in the province warned and engaged the leadership of the ANC to resolve key issues, which included many workers who were unfairly fired at the municipality and other community concerns to avoid an imminent loss of the municipality. The ANC lost control of the municipality to a coalition of opposition parties primarily because these key issues were not resolved.
The PEC discussed the upcoming municipal election re-run and the current political situation in the municipality and came to the conclusion that, the main issues that led to the loss of control of the municipality in the 3 August 2016 elections remains fundamentally unresolved. The SACP and COSATU in the province have been consistently and painstakingly engaging and calling on the provincial leadership of the ANC since 2014 to implement alliance decisions taken on these issues to no avail thus far.
This partly inform the view held and previously communicated by the SACP PEC that the leadership of the ANC in the province seems preoccupied with other peripheral issues thus unwilling or incapable of providing the much needed leadership of the revolution. Consistent strategic leadership to the national democratic revolution is lacking and is usurped, and subordinated to what appears to be factional dominance.
The SACP has a major responsibility and a vanguard role to defend, advance and deepen the national democratic revolution. The PEC agreed that the issue of the unfairly dismissed municipal employees and the need for their return to employment in accordance with alliance decision in the province is not a bargaining matter but a matter of principle. The PEC agreed to further interact directly with our structures, workers in general, including the politically dismissed municipal workers and broader community within the municipality.
Guided by strategic consistency, analytical alertness and tactical flexibility, these interactions would help in providing concrete analysis and a clear guidance on how best to defend and advance the national democratic revolution. This will also inform further discussion with central leadership of the Party and the alliance.
University of Free state (UFS) SRC elections
The PEC congratulated the YCLSA for contesting and winning the SRC Presidency against an independent candidate and other opposition student formations in UFS. The YCLSA was the only PYA component registered in terms of University rules and requirements to contest elections. The PEC appreciates the efforts of the YCLSA UFS branch in engaging and persuading other PYA components to reach an agreement prior to contesting. In this regard, the SACP shall work with the YCLSA in its endeavors for the unity of the PYA in the institution and to work jointly in servicing the student population of UFS.
Issued by SACP Free State
Bheke Stofile - SACP Free State Provincial Secretary
Mobile: 071 600 4899
Or
Phillip Kganyago - SACP Free State Provincial Spokesperson
Mobile: 071 896 0157
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY | SACP
FOR GENERAL ENQUIRIES ON SACP STATEMENTS CONTACT:
Mhlekwa Nxumalo: Acting National Spokesperson
Mobile: +27 76 316 9816
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
SACP Ustream TV Channel: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sacp-tv
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