26 January 2002.
The senior leadership of the ANC and SACP today met at Chief Albert Luthuli House in Johannesburg. The delegations were led by the President of the ANC and the General Secretary of the SACP.
The discussions were conducted in an atmosphere of openness between comrades, as we jointly explored ways and means of overcoming the recent tensions in the tripartite alliance.
The meeting agreed that the tripartite alliance has a profound responsibility to lead society in transforming our country into a truly non racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa. The approach to this transformation is within the context of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR), led by the ANC. The ANC and the SACP agree on the major tasks of this revolution.
In the post 1990 period, new challenges have emerged relating to how the two organisations align their common and independent programmes. In particular, the two organisations discussed the challenges posed by the SACP's role as the party of socialism within context of the ANC-led NDR. This issue will be further canvassed in future bi-lateral meetings.
The meeting also agreed that the immediate challenge facing the alliance and the country as a whole is to ensure growth, development and job creation that will benefit the overwhelming majority of our people. In this context, it was agreed that all three components of the alliance will work together in contributing to the development of a social accord for growth and development. Such an accord would be aimed at building unity amongst all South Africans, and key stakeholders, around a common programme for development towards a better life for all.
The ANC and SACP committed themselves to a common programme of action, broadly captured in the ANC's January 8th statement. In this regard the two organisations will define activities aimed at realising the objectives of the programme.
The meeting agreed to strengthen the collective and individual components of the alliance and ensure that tensions that manifested themselves in the recent past do not recur, and are resolved through regular interactions.
For further information please contact:
Nomfanelo Kota (ANC)
Cell: 082 570 5072