26 April 2016
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Western Cape convened Special District Councils on Saturday, 23 April 2016, in two of its Districts: Che Guevara (West Coast) and Brian Bunting (Cape Metro), present, were branch delegates and alliance partners. Both Councils were convened through a directive from our Central Committee (CC), the following matters were addressed: the state of the organisation, challenges facing workers and the labour movement as well as an induction of SACP Red Brigade volunteers in Che Guevara. The main purpose of these councils, however, was reserved for the recent Politburo statement dealing with the Constitutional Court findings on the non-security upgrades of the President`s home in Nkandla. Comrade Lechesa Tsenoli was present in Brian Bunting District and delivered a keynote address on behalf of the Central Committee.
On the State of the Organisation and the Movement:
The Che Guevara District is operating in all the major towns and rural villages in the West Coast. Our branches, comprised of industrial workers, fishermen and woman and rural and semi-urban working class people, are progressively taking up many of the struggles facing our communities.
The Councils also spent time reflecting on the state of the leader of our Alliance. The ANC in the Western Cape still faces a grave challenge of deep-seated factionalism and divisions in its ranks. Many ANC branches have become extensions of provincial and regional factions, completely neglecting organisational work in taking up the struggles of our people. The Council resolved to assist the ANC in strengthening unity in our branches as disciplined ANC members in our own standing and reaffirmed the need to ensure SACP members are not involved these divisions.
On the fight against neo-liberal restructuring of South Africa`s workplace- and the struggle against outsourcing and casualization
The Council deliberated on the high levels of exploitation and casualisation of workers in the majority of industrial bases and farms in the West Coast. The Council also expressed the worrying trend of how fishing quotas have been allocated, leaving indigent fishers unable to provide food for their families. Comrades decided that strengthening practical programmes with COSATU to assist and recruit workers facing these conditions will be included in our organisational work going forward. The Council also decided to approach the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries to assist and intervene in the challenges facing our working class coastal communities.
The SACP has always called against labour practises in the state that undermine the hard-won minimal victories of in the post democratic dispensation enshrined in the constitution. The SACP in the Brain Bunting District expressed its full support of both the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) and the National Education and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) in their struggle for decent wages and an end to outsourcing and contractualisation of the workforce by state institutions. It cannot be accepted that we still have government parastatals and institutions that outsource services and employ contract workers for more than three months despite the labour relations act amendments that prohibit such labour practises.
Local Government Elections and Districts Elections Programme:
The Che Guevara District Council received input and training on the role the SACP will play in the upcoming Local Government Elections in the West Coast. Our independent and ANC complimentary programme will comprise of SACP branch volunteers that will receive ongoing training and be deployed into strategic areas to ensure an overwhelming victory. The council also resolved to form programmes for our campaign based on the varied conditions in our communities.
On the Constitutional Court findings:
The councils sat a few weeks after the Constitutional Court judgement on the Nkandla matter and during a critical moment in our National Democratic Revolution as we prepare for the 2016 local government elections.
This is also a moment where we witness an intensified attack on our socialist struggle at a global, domestic, and internal front, faced with the major challenge of confronting the corporate capture of influential circles in the state and in our movement that has contributed to the decreasing levels of revolutionary morality and confidence of the public in the ANC-led government. We indeed reaffirmed the view held by the SACP Politburo that more decisive action needs to be taken in order to deal with the vulnerability to capture and restore the revolutionary morality that has always characterised the ANC and our movement.
The District Councils assessed the recent Politburo statement and thereafter allowed space for branch delegates to deliberate on what it meant to them, the alliance in the District and the communities they lead. The discussions were frank, robust and varied. The District Councils also commenced from a historical basis in their discussions, taking note of how previous challenges have divided and weakened the movement.
The recent developments of state capture and other such controversies involving the leader of the alliance, government and the president pose some challenging contradictions to the National Democratic Revolution. Comrades present further stated that these challenges have increased division in the organisation, some expressing themselves critically have even been labelled and sidelined within the ANC. Comrades expressed the need to ensure that Party leadership at a national level engage with the leadership of the ANC and protect the National Democratic Revolution from internal and external threats. The morality of the organisation is currently being viewed in a negative light by the people we lead.
Comrades present were also adamant to defend our revolution in the face of these challenges, that both external and opposition forces should not dictate positions to our organisation. Internal challenges must be dealt with organisationally. Comrades expressed the need to allow this process to be dealt with internally within the organisation, our current task at hand is to focus on the Local Government Election.
Issued by SACP Western Cape
Masonwabe Sokoyi - SACP Western Cape Provincial Spokesperson
Cell: 0815846138/ 0765243242
Office: 021 696 2522
Fax: 086 558 2481
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Email : sacpwc.media@gmail.com