15 July 2001
“Credit Bureaus must allow each and every consumer to access their credit profiles without any costs and charges. I will write an open letter to all the Credit Bureaus demanding free and unlimited access to my credit profile” , said Blade Nzimande, the General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP), to more than 700 workers and residents who filled the Rabasotho Community Hall in Tembisa in an SACP hosted Workers’ and People’s Assembly held earlier today.
This Assembly was part of 18 (eighteen) others which took place over the weekend in celebration of the SACP’s 80th Anniversary. The purpose of the Assemblies is to combine a public evaluation of the SACP with a community outreach programme by the SACP and its leaders in order to listen and address community issues throughout the country.
In the Tembisa Assembly, more than 30 workers publicly raised a whole range of problems and concerns for attention by the SACP. These included the following:
In his response to these comments and questions, Blade Nzimande emphasised the need to mobilise working class communities behind an independent and strong SACP based on a working class political programme. On the housing problems, Nzimande charged the Tembisa branch with the task of mobilising all retrenched construction workers into a construction co-operative. He further challenged the Ekurhuleni Metropolitcan Council to recognise and prioritise such co-operatives in housing construction tenders.
“The need for a common ANC-SACP-COSATU approach to the economy and the restructuring of state assets is on top of the agenda. Tomorrow, there will a 10-a-side meeting to discuss this matter. As the SACP we do not believe that privatisation will create jobs, deliver basic services and develop our country’s infrastructure”, said Nzimande.
Nzimande also called for a review of the housing policy of our country in order to improve the pace and quality of housing delivery linked to the need for access to land in urban and rural areas. The review must also include the building of community based and controlled construction co-operatives.
“NEDLAC will host a Summit in November this year on how banks can be made to serve the people. We must use the time before this Summit to increase pressure on private banks and lay a solid basis for co-operative banks”, concluded Nzimande.
A full report of what came out in the 18 other assemblies held throughout the country this weekend will be released on 16 July 2001. The next major Assembly will be held in Alexandra township, Johannesburg on 21 July and will be attended by Blade Nzimande, other members of the Central Committee and the Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee of the SACP.
CONTACT
Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information and Publicity
South African Communist Party
Tel – 011 339 3621
Fax – 011 339 4244
Cell - 083 651 0271
Email – sacp1@wn.apc.org