SACP Eastern Cape Province statement
10 August 2007
The last 3 months have been witnessing relentless attacks on the SACP and its leaders. In its last extended Provincial Working Committee meeting on the 10th of August 2007 the SACP noted the rising levels of corruption in local municipalities in the Eastern Cape Province accompanied by communists` purges.
Notable the suspension of district chairperson and other SACP leaders in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan municipality and the removal of SACP deputy chairperson as Mayor of Nkonkobe Local Municipality.
In all these instances including Great Kei municipality there are documented damning reports of corruption. Regrettable, the SACP has been calling upon the ANC to intervene in a non-factionalist manner without success.
The meeting also expressed its shock and outrage at the dismissal of deputy Health Minister and viewed it as part of the growing intolerance of differing views not the claimed reasons of unauthorized trip to Spain.
The PWC believed that her dismissal has everything to do with her views on HIV/AIDS and challenges confronting Frere Hospital. Fortunately, as the SACP together with workers and the poor of our province we support her view that Frere Hospital problems represented a "national emergency".
They are indeed a reflection of the broader challenges facing our health system in general as a result of the country`s economic growth path that continues to benefit the elite (both black and white).
The PWC also noted reports about allegations of fraud against our General Secretary, Blade Nzimande. We are of the firm belief that this is part of a campaign of those who are disappointed with the outcomes of our 12th congress and worried about the growth of our party.
A growing communist party with a clear program is a worrying threat to the bourgeoisie and its surrogates both within our broad liberation movement and outside. It is on this that we wish to state our confidence to our leadership and the General Secretary in particular.
We equally vow that this will not deter our determination to build a socialist South Africa including influencing the outcomes of the coming December ANC conference and the 2009 general elections.
The enemy of the ANC is not the SACP nor COSATU but the capitalist class and its agents that are determined to corrupt leaders in order to secure the benefits of the elite that have been secured in the 13 years of freedom at the direct expense of workers and the poor.
We commit to mobilize our structures in ensuring that corruption is uprooted and divisive elements at the core of these problems are exposed. As the SACP in the province we be taking our positions on these matters to the coming alliance secretariat meeting of the 21st of August 2007.
Issued by the SACP.
For information Contact:
Mandla Makhupula
Eastern Cape Provincial Secretary
10 August 2007
082 419 3336
