19 August 2001
The Politburo of the South African Communist Party (SACP) held an extended meeting on Saturday, 18 August 2001 to discuss the SACP stance on the COSATU-led General Strike Against Privatisation planned for 29 and 30 August 2001.
As a party of socialism the SACP is both ideologically opposed to privatisation in principle, and practically and programmatically we are concerned about many features of the current restructuring of state assets. Therefore, the extended SACP Politburo meeting resolved to fully support the COSATU-led General Strike Against Privatisation. The Politburo also re-affirmed the SACP call for an ANC-SACP-COSATU Alliance process to comprehensively review the restructuring of state assets which has taken place so far.
While the general strike is obviously political in character (it is about seeking to influence and change aspects of current policy), the Politburo understands that the strike is not about challenging or undermining the legitimacy of our ANC-led government, with its massive two-thirds democratic mandate. We are seeking to defend and build a much stronger public and parastatal sphere, we want to broaden the public sphere, and limit the space in our society that is dominated by unelected, undemocratic profit-driven forces. We want to strengthen and not weaken the capacity of our democratic state.
The struggle against privatisation is part of escalating working class struggles rooted in the fact that the working class has borne the brunt of neo-liberal restructuring of our economy over the last decade. As the SACP has said, this kind of economic restructuring and its outcome are neither desirable nor inevitable.
Health, education, telecommunications, energy, transport, water and other public goods are basic human rights to ensure a decent life for all South Africans. As experiences from other countries show, the results of privatisation of basic services are a violation of the basic human rights to a decent life for the majority of people.
The general strike is a clear message to the bosses and government that our country+IBk-s economic policy will no longer be dominated by the bosses and their narrow selfish interests. We must roll back the inordinate impact of unelected, undemocratic profit-driven private capital, capitalist-aligned consultancies, an emerging elite within our country, and certain elements from within the parastatal and public sector management on the current restructuring of state assets.
The general strike is also a fight against corruption - not least corruption and the abuse of office in the public sector. Many of the features of the current restructuring are fostering massive corruption.
The SACP calls on all its members, leaders, supporters, workers, working class communities, the unemployed and all South Africans to support, and ensure that the general strike becomes an overwhelming success.
In conclusion, the Politburo also welcomes the ANC-SACP-COSATU Alliance plus SANCO commitment make to sufficient time in the coming period in order to engage in intensive discussions to systematically deal with areas of disagreement, including a week-long lekgotla of the Alliance national leadership. At this meeting every area of disagreement will be debated and, hopefully, a common way forward will emerge.
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