24 July 2001
This is to announce a National Bilateral Meeting between the South African Communist Party (SACP), the vanguard of the South African working class, and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the major and largest trade union federation which subscribes to socialism, as detailed below.
DATE : Thursday, 26 July 2001
TIME : 09h00 - 16h00
VENUE : 10th Floor Boardroom, COSATU House,1 Leyds Street, Braamfontein
PRESS CONFERENCE: To follow the meeting at 16h15 at the same venue
In this meeting the SACP will be represented by its Politburo and Provincial Secretaries, and COSATU will be represented by its Executive Committee which includes its National Office Bearers and General Secretaries and Presidents of its 19 affiliated trade unions.
The agenda of the meeting includes a political analysis of the current domestic and international political situation from a working class standpoint and a common programme of action in the context of deepening the national democratic revolution and the struggle for socialism. This analysis will include a discussion of working class advances and setbacks since 1994 against the background of renewed working class mobilisation in light of the contradiction of seeking to address the legacy of apartheid on the terrain of capitalism. The meeting will also discuss the struggle for socialism in South Africa and internationally given the growing anti-capitalist sentiment, consciousness and mobilisation. Through this meeting, the SACP and COSATU seek to elaborate common perspectives on the deepening of our national democratic revolution and consolidation of the ANC-SACP-COSATU alliance from a working class standpoint. The meeting will therefore include a discussion on the state of the 2 organisations and the challenges that lie ahead in the struggle for socialism in our country and internationally.
In the wake of current working class struggles led by COSATU, the SACP's 80th Anniversary Celebrations during this month of July, and the public evaluation of the SACP through Worker's and People's Assemblies this is an opportune moment for the SACP and COSATU to have this bilateral meeting. The bilateral meeting brings together the 2 major socialist formations in our country at a critical period for our country as a whole.
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
OR
Patrick Craven or Moloto Mothapo
Acting Spokespersons
Congress of South African Trade Unions
Tel: 011 339 4911
Fax: 011 339 6080
Email: moloto@cosatu.org.za
Website: www.cosatu.org.za