19 March 2019

The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Free State held the 2nd Provincial Council of its 7th Provincial Congress on 17 March 2019 at Itemoheleng TVET College in Qwaqwa, Thabo Mafutsanyana District. The Council was attended by Branch delegates, District and Provincial Executive Committees and Central Committee of the SACP, as well as representatives of the Alliance partners.

The Council discussed and analysed the state of the Party and the revolution, the political and organisational trends in our province, nationally and internationally.

The Council agreed that the strategic task confronting the Party currently and the political line is to ensure that the revolutionary movement headed by the African National Congress (ANC) wins the upcoming elections overwhelmingly. In this regard, the immediate tasks for all our structures is to continue engaging in mass work anchored at voting district level for the electoral victory of the ANC. The council noted feedback on ongoing discussions regarding reconfiguration of the alliance.

The Council appeals to all comrades and progressive forces within the broader movement to rally behind and support the ANC to secure an overwhelming electoral victory at both provincial and national level. The Council viewed any underhand moves not to vote for the ANC either on the provincial or national ballot as shortsighted and defeatist for the struggles ahead.

The Council also agreed that the broad thrust of the ANC manifesto represents the most thoroughgoing and progressive programme for liberating the working class and poor in the country. In this regard, the Council cautioned that the SACP and the working class need to be vigilant and safeguard delivery on these manifesto commitments and guard against capitalist business interests establishing and consolidating themselves around leading figures of our movement at the expense of the working class, in the post elections era.

The Council noted the rising confidence of the people on the Party in resolving societal challenges. In this regard, the Party undertook to strengthen its organisational capacity and presence at every locality and position itself to meet challenges of our communities. The Council re-emphasised the importance of building a strong, independent working class vanguard Party for socialism rooted within our communities.

The Council mandated the provincial leadership to implore and engage with the ANC leadership to intervene and ensure the immediate reinstatement of suspended and dismissed workers at various municipalities across the province. The Council noted with concern the continued non-payment of third parties by municipalities, despite the continued deductions from salaries of the workers. This is regarded as stealing of workers’ hard earned wages.

The Council condemned the persistent and consistent imperialist onslaught against socialist countries and the intensifying assault on workers of the world by unscrupulous capitalist forces whose primary interest is to extract super profits from worker exploitation. This requires the working class forces of the world to unite in waging a relentless anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist struggle.

The Council specifically condemned in the strongest terms the regime change agenda against the democratically elected government of Venezuela by the United States and some of its puppet states in the Latin American region and Europe. The Council expressed support for the democratically elected government of Venezuela led by President Nicolás Maduro. In this regard, the SACP agreed on the need for programmatic solidarity with the people of Venezuela and in support of the Bolivarian revolution. Solidarity action must also be extended in support of the oppressed peoples of the world.

ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY | SACP

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