08 February 2002
The South African Communist Party (SACP) is pleased with the State of the Nation Address delivered by President Thabo Mbeki when he opened parliament in Cape Town today.
The SACP welcomes the President’s emphasis on poverty eradication, under-development, the need for social equity and higher rates of economic growth and development. The President’s focus takes forward the concrete measures announced last year towards the mobilisation of domestic resources for investment in key priority areas around economic infrastructure, rural development and urban renewal. The SACP has argued for focused attention on the mobilisation of domestic resources and investment, within the framework of a coherent and state-led industrial strategy. The growth and development summit will therefore be an important opportunity to consolidate a state-led economic growth and development path premised on such an industrial strategy. The commitment given by the President to a dialogue on the economic growth and development path is important in overcoming obstacles the ANC-SACP-COSATU alliance has faced in the recent while and in ensuring the participation of ordinary people in economic transformation.
Also critical in our country’s economic growth and development is the building of a strong, democratic and accountable public sector which will play a leading role in meeting basic needs and economic transformation. The example of the restructuring of Spoornet, as referred to by the President, shows clearly that a constructive and intelligent engagement between labour, government and the management of a parastatal can lead to the consolidation of the public sector and that restructuring of state assets does not equal privatisation.
The SACP is particularly pleased at the government’s commitment to address micro-financing and access to credit for socio-economic development. This is very much in line with the SACP-led campaign to transform and diversify the financial sector. This must give impetus to the setting of a date for the holding of a NEDLAC Summit on the financial sector.
The SACP also welcomes the emphasis on the need for a major campaign to mobilise communities for the registration of children who qualify to claim social security from the state. This, for us, affirms the need for people-centred and people-driven processes wherein our communities are mobilised to work with government on the meeting of basic needs and economic transformation. In line with the SACP programmatic theme for 2002 of “People and Government Together: Build People’s Power and a People’s Economy to Meet Basic Needs”, the SACP will throw its weight behind the Vuk’ uzenzele campaign.
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