17th February 2002
The Central Committee (CC) of the South African Communist Party (SACP) held its first meeting for 2002 from Friday, 15 February in Johannesburg. In its agenda, the SACP CC discussed the following matters:
The CC was addressed by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Comrade Alec Erwin on government's emerging economic transformation perspectives and the Minister of Health, Comrade Manto Tshabalala-Msimang on governments HIV/AIDS strategy and programme.
TOWARDS AN ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT PATH
The CC received and engaged with an extensive report on evolving government industrial policy, from cde Alec Erwin. For several years the SACP has been calling for a more coherent and active industrial policy vision. The CC welcomed the report from cde Erwin, and felt that government policy is now beginning to move much more constructively on this front.
Among the features of the evolving policy outline that the CC appreciates
are:
The CC also appreciates the emphasis on the mobilisation of domestic resources as the principal driver of the industrial and broader growth policy and the commitment to paying focused attention to the developmental mandate of our leading parastatals. Our key parastatals are not commercial entities like any other corporation, and must fully justify their role as publicly-owned entities.
The SACP believes that the general outlines of this economic growth and development strategy, which still require detailed elaboration, debate and discussion of course, can lay the basis for a very constructive intra-Alliance process, leading up to our summit in April. The Alliance summit will also be a useful platform from which to move forward towards the national Growth and Development Summit. It is also in this context that the SACP will support the ongoing discussions around the feasibility of developing a South African social accord.
RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGE OF HIV/AIDS
The CC received a comprehensive report from Minister of Health, cde Mantho Tshabalala-Msimang on the programme and strategy of government on HIV/AIDS. The CC engaged actively, robustly and constructively with the report. The CC believes that, for a number of reasons, some of which have to do with insufficient communication and hesitancy at times, government has been put on to the defensive. This has the unfortunate effect that when absolutely correct attempts are made to focus public attention on the need to respond to the epidemic in an integrated way, it often comes across as if government were avoiding the issue of access to treatment as part of the strategy.
The CC believes that government's National AIDS Strategy, premised on the thesis that HIV causes AIDS, is a solid basis for a response and unity in action of all South Africans in combating HIV/AIDS and dealing with the impact of HIV/AIDS in our communities. This comprehensive strategy includes education, information, prevention, safe sex, access to treatment, care, support, access to affordable medicines and the building of an efficient public health system.
Our understanding, from the briefing that we received, is that government believes that Nevirapine is an important intervention in the prevention of mother to child transmission. However, in our Third World context, we are faced with massive and very real capacity and resource constraints. We are convinced that, from the side of government, these constraints are seen as challenges to be overcome within a reasonable period, and not as pretexts for prevarication.
The SACP, in the context of our alliance, will be working actively to help to re-build a unifying national mobilisation in response to the epidemic. It is critical that as the ANC-led movement we work with, listen to, and where possible provide leadership to a range of initiatives NGOs, organisations and networks of people living with HIV/AIDS, communities, health professionals, traditional healers, etc. Divisions and disagreements that divert from the key challenges are hampering our ability to unite all compassionate forces in a common effort.
In this context, the SACP will be joining the ANC, in the month of April, in a major campaign of mass mobilisation and voluntary work focused on HIV/AIDS and health in general. Specifically, the SACP will highlight HIV/AIDS discrimination in the financial sector, and the role of pharmaceutical multi-nationals in denying access to affordable medicines in developing countries.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE 11TH CONGRESS OF THE SACP
The 11th Congress of the SACP will be held from 24-28 July in Johannesburg. The 11th Congress will be an opportunity for the SACP membership to debate and enhance our ongoing political programme. However, we believe that this Congress of the leading socialist party in our country, will help to stimulate wider debate and discussion in our country, not least in an evolving global situation in which the erstwhile triumphalism of neo-liberalism is more and more challenged by a wide range of forces.
ZIMBABWE
The CC discussed the deeply troubling situation in Zimbabwe. We support the efforts of our government and civil society in sending election monitoring missions. It is imperative that there are free and fair elections in our neighbouring country, the people of Zimbabwe must be allowed to choose for themselves. Of course, regardless of the election result, the SACP believes that it is imperative that all progressive forces in Zimbabwe work actively to develop a converging perspective around the reconstruction and development of their country.
CONTACT
Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara (surname Jara)
Cell: 082 922 5716