4 March 2025

The South African Communist Party (SACP) Limpopo Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) met on Wednesday 26 February 2025 as a culmination of a series of meetings and organisational activities undertaken by the Districts, the Party Building Commission (PBC) and the Provincial Working Committee (PWC) since the SACP 5^th Special National Congress.

The meeting had an extensive reflection on the current political developments internationally, in the continent and in the country, specifically assessing implications of the global situation on the plight of the international working class and victims of capitalist greed and war-mongering generally.

We pay homage and pledge solidarity with all these victims wherever they are, whatever their circumstances including in Palestine, Cuba, Venezuela, Western Sahara, Swaziland, and other parts of the world and the continent which are ravaged by endless wars fuelled by economic interests (e.g. mineral resources), political arrogance and disregard for both international law and multilateralism.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WORKING WOMEN

March 8 marks the annual International day of working women. The SACP will honour the day with a national event that will take place at New Look Primary School, Seshego Extension, Limpopo. At the centre of the SACP campaign for the day and the month are issues of promoting women’s productive rights, gender equality, eliminating gender based violence (GBV), sanitary dignity, teenage pregnancy, child and forced marriages, marital rapes, maternal mortality rapes, cancer awareness, poverty and unemployment, sexual harassment in the workplace, food security, high cost of living and effective implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI).

All structures and communities are invited to the event and to be part of the campaign throughout the province and nationally.

THE ECONOMY, RIGHT TO WORK AND EDUCATION

Fresh from the 2022 ANC Provincial Conference, the SACP called for decisive intervention in key strategic sectors of the economy so as to make an impact in addressing poverty and unemployment. Regrettably, this has not received adequate attention, resulting, amongst others, in Limpopo registering the second lowest voter turnout of 52.1 per cent in the May 2024 elections (after North West’s 51.4 per cent). Whilst the turn out resulted in an overall success of 73,3 per cent for the ANC led Alliance, the task of increasing the pace of transformation and change remains urgent. Nationally, voter turn-out declined from 89,3 per cent in 1999 to 58,6 per cent in the 2024 general elections.

The Party urges the ANC to focus its priorities in line with the 2024 ANC led Alliance Manifesto, that includes, amongst others, large scale employment creation, broad based industrialisation, state led infrastructure development, comprehensive poverty eradication programme, implementation of the NHI, and financial sector transformation.

In this regard, the Party calls for serious attention to be devoted to the Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA) and its subsidiaries. This should entail proper capitalisation and other forms of support, accountability and stringent oversight over the operations, fit-for-purpose skills and requisite capacity in management and governance, self-sustainability and a culture of service to the people.

The PEC meeting has directed all SACP structures at provincial and district level to closely monitor and ensure that municipalities, all organs of state and LEDA entities, in particular, prioritise the interests of the workers and local communities to meaningfully participate in fields such as mining, cannabis and hemp economy, creative industries, roads construction, agriculture and agro processing, and digital economy in terms of job creation, skills, beneficiation and socio-economic empowerment. Equally, all our structures are directed to fully participate in efforts to address the nagging crisis of water security in the province.

Addressing the colonial apartheid effects of poverty and unemployment also requires maximum investment in education and skills. Accordingly, the SACP once again congratulates the MEC of Education and the department, as well as learners and all role players for the commendable efforts being continuously made in achieving high and quality results. To further address demands of the modern economy, the Party supports decisions to establish specialised and focus schools in fields such as agriculture, engineering, mining, Artificial Intelligence and digital technologies.

As part of giving effect to some of these interventions, the Party will continue to campaign against austerity and unnecessary VAT hikes. The triple challenges in the country call for a Budget that can grow the economy and benefit workers and the poor.

Similarly, the SACP has taken note of concerted efforts by institutions such as the World Bank, IMF and their local neo-liberal surrogates such as the DA, Afriforum, and Solidarity to reverse transformation and related empowerment legislations, as well as workers’ rights. These attempts should be defeated by all means possible.

In the past few months, the SACP has been in contact with representatives of the Sekhukhune Kingship as well as the Premier of the province regarding our support for the establishment of institutions of higher learning, both in Sekhukhune and Mopani regions, as well as throughout the province.

We welcome the decisions of the ANC PEC Lekgotla and the subsequent pronouncement of the Premier in regard thereto, particularly on the clarification of the mining and technology institution in Sekhukhune.

The SACP welcomes the decision of the recent ANC PEC Lekgotla and provincial government Lekgotla to establish a provincial state bank. It is our hope that a feasibility study on the establishment of such a bank should also accommodate inputs and interests of workers and working class communities in the province.

VBS

In July 2024, the SACP noted the plea and sentence agreement reached between the former Chairperson of VBS, Mr Tshifhiwa Matodzi and law enforcement agencies in terms of which Matodzi offered to help with crucial information relevant to the on-going investigation concerning around 29 suspects linked to the R2 billion looting of deposits belonging to the elderly, pensioners and other clients of the bank.

In this regard, the Party is hopeful that Matodzi’s court appearance and testimony of the past week, amongst others, shall help bring the VBS cases to finality.

As in the past, the SACP will, together with the ANC, COSATU, religious fraternity, concerned Foundations in the Vhembe region, and other community structures, continue to support the victims of this heinous crime and we will do so until all those responsible are convicted and sentenced appropriately.

We urge the provincial government and interested private investors to move with speed in addressing the issue of the resuscitation of the VBS mutual bank.

SACP 5^th SPECIAL NATIONAL CONGRESS AND PREPARATIONS FOR 2026 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

It is common cause that the SACP held its 5^th Special National Congress in December 2024 in which the decision to independently contest the 2026 local government elections was reaffirmed.

This decision is rooted in the need, amongst others, to achieve the important task of advancing working class representation (ensuring that the voices and struggles of the working class and the poor drive local governance), challenging neo-liberal policies, building people’s power in our communities and reconfiguring the Alliance on the ground.

Branches and communities will in due course be sensitised around a Provincial Plan of Action on this matter, which, amongst others, will entail launching of Red Brigades, appointment of election structures and training of elections co-ordinators.

In the meantime, and until determined otherwise, it remains the position of the SACP that Party leaders and activists who occupy positions in the ANC and government should continue to do so, always guided by principles and values of revolutionary morality, highest form of discipline, quality service to communities, selflessness and commitment expected of Party members.

The PEC also reflected on other key resolutions of the SACP 5^th SNC, amongst which are the imperative to reaffirm the NDR as the strategic path to socialism, and building the socialist axis and the popular left front.

PARTY ORGANISATIONAL MATTERS

The PEC dedicated time discussing issues of Party Building in the province, programmes aimed at addressing issues that affect communities, as well as building the Popular Left Front. Branches are called upon to continue to work closely with local co-operatives, religious fraternity, traditional authorities, Alliance structures and all other progressive organs of civil society. All other organisational matters related to launching of branches, membership system, support to the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA), political and ideological training, and District Congresses shall be communicated by District Secretaries and PEC deployees.

Much attention was also given to the issue of strengthening the Alliance in the province. Flowing from the discussions, the PEC has directed the Provincial Office Bearers (POBs) to resuscitate functional relations with the ANC as a matter of priority, beyond provincial and regional events. This is all too important to defend the democratic gains in the province whilst ensuring that progress is made in achieving the objectives of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR).

A bilateral meeting was recently held with COSATU in which it was agreed to meet regularly and to ensure programmatic support towards rebuilding a strong trade union movement. Accordingly, the SACP will actively participate in the Cosatu Provincial Gender Conference taking place in Polokwane on 5 March 2025 and the Cosatu Provincial Congress on 6 – 7March. Further engagements will be properly structured with the new PEC immediately after Congress.

Efforts to ensure the unity of SANCO in the province will also continue in earnest in the coming weeks.

ISSUED BY SACP LIMPOPO

Chuene Malebana – Provincial Secretary
Charley Nkadimeng
PEC Member and Provincial Spokesperson
Mobile: 074 462 8633

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