12 May 2020
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in Moses Mabhida (KwaZulu-Natal) Province held its scheduled Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting this past weekend. The meeting deliberated on political developments in the province, South Africa and the world. Critical in the deliberations was the response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The meeting was held virtually, through digital platform, due to the state of national disaster and lockdown restrictions that we and the whole of our society need to observe in order to protect the fundamental right to life - against the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
The PEC received the political report, presented by the Provincial Secretary. The report reminded the provincial leadership that the meeting was being held while the world was commemorating the end of the Second World War, in which fascism was defeated. The Soviet Union played a crucial role to the victory over fascism.
The main theme that permeated throughout the PEC was the political economy of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the working class and the poor in our province, country and the world over.
The PEC discussed a number of issues. It was agreed the working class should unite and rally behind the battle to win the war against the Covid-19. It is crucial for the working class to protect the fundamental right to life, and over and above that ensure the post-Covid-19 societal relations are changed for the betterment of the quality of life the working class and poor.
The PEC took the opportunity to wish all the workers who have put their lives at risk in order to ensure that we continue to receive health and other essential services and critical goods. Today, Monday 12 May is International Nurses Day - Nurses are the cement that holds the health system together, and the SACP salutes them for their dedicated service. They are the first line of defence before any other specialised health worker comes to attend a patient. We want to thank all nurses for the sterling work that they do every day. We call upon all in society to protect the nurses, that the workers who keep the wheels of the health system running. The SACP appreciate your work and your sacrifice.
The meeting also saluted workers in the retail industry, such as supermarket tellers, cleaners, security guards, petrol attendants, to name but a few, who have made themselves available to serve the people.
Re-opening of economic activity
Re-opening economic activity has been presented, in the view of the PEC, as saving the economy and jobs of the workers. In fact, if not done in the interest of public health, and in the interest of workers occupational health and safety, the move will send workers to the alter as sacrificial lambs. The employers have been feeling the pinch as profits have plummeted. They are pressuring the government and forcing workers to go back to work without having resolved the fundamental issues pertaining to health and safety at the workplace and in public spaces. The workplace needs to be a safe place for all workers, and public health equally guaranteed.
Many workplaces are not in a condition to open as they not meet the minimum conditions to safeguard workers health and safety. The unscrupulous capitalist bosses have not shown beyond any doubt that they can protect workers against contracting Covid-19. In the like manner, different sections of the capitalist bosses in sectors involving the public, such as retail malls, have not instituted adequate measures to protect public health. Others actually intimidate workers not to disclose that they have either been infected by Covid-19 or have been in contact with an infected person, as disclosure would force the establishments to have to close down and instate adequate health and safety measures before re-opening. To many employers this is just a game of thrones to them, where worker's lives can be gambled with.
Some capitalist bosses opt to under-report actual cases. This undermines the very fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and its spread.
Covid-19 People's Forums
Working with unions we will ensure that each workplace forms safety and health committees which will ensure that screening, testing, provision personal protective equipment and Covid-19 regulations are adhered to. The SACP in Moses Mabhida Province will support the fight against Covid-19 by forming Covid-19 People's Forums. These forums will not only be limited in working places. We intend to ensure that each community establishes one and can report on how they are working together as the community to end the spread of Covid-19
We will achieve this by engaging with social partners, unions, churches, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), tribal authorities, school governing bodies (SGBs) and community-based organisations. We will promote that we, working together, in ways that uphold lockdown regulations, segment our communities into manageable units so that each Covid-19 People's Forum can be able to take the amount of work that it can handle in and efficient and effective way towards winning the war against pandemic. Our processes will ensure that the community is at the forefront of identifying people who are at risk of infection and putting measures in place to ensure that they are protected. Together we can do wonders in protecting ourselves against this invisible disease. Covid-19 calls for behavioural change and ensuring that the movement of people is highly reduced and closely monitored in the case of those who have to move. The SACP in Moses Mabhida therefore calls upon community organisations to come together without regard to political affiliation, race, colour or creed, to make the change that we all need in order to win the war against the deadly disease.
Dismissal of workers by capitalist bosses
Some employers who are unscrupulous are taking this pandemic as an opportunity to fire workers that they always wanted to dismiss. Some workers have received letters of termination during these trying times. We call upon the government to open up all labour related institutions that deal with unfair labour practice such as the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and Bargaining Council. The Constitution of South Africa and Labour Relations Act have not been suspended - in particular, it remains important to protect workers against unfair labour practices, dismissals and violation of occupational health and safety and other applicable labour law. Workers' rights are protected under the constitution of South Africa and we will fight tooth and nail to enforce the protection.
Civid-19 infection of health-care workers
Nurses and doctors have also been infected - especially in private hospitals - in our province. This is a clear revelation that the private sector is not interested in upholding the highest health and safety standards. Theirs is deriving drive to make the highest possible profits out of the blood and sweat of workers and patients. These workers and patients are not replaceable. Health sector skills and knowhow are scarce. Losing one health worker through negligence is one life too many. Our health sector cannot afford to suffer deaths of workers through sheer negligence.
As we celebrate the essential workers for the sterling work that they are doing, we call upon the state, the private sector and all employers to provide comprehensive insurance to cover all workers against any eventuality but first and foremost to take measures to prevent such an undesirable eventuality. These workers sacrifice their lives to ensure that they save lives, put food on the table, and provide safety and security of the entire public. All employers must ensure that these provisions are catered for all employees who have been identified as essential workers.
Re-opening of schools in the province
We support the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) on their stance on educational issues. The government must ensure that it engages in good faith with labour unions and fulfils its part in ensuring that schools are safe before re-opening them.
Engagement with trade union movement
We will continue to engage with all unions in the education sector, retail sector, health sector, safety and security sector, and all other sectors at the coal face of this pandemic in order to ensure that we lift up issues that need to be addressed.
The R500 billion package
We applaud the government by making available the R500 billion to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. However, we note with great concern that only 10 per cent of the more than R500 billion is directed towards relief for the working class and especially the poor. The informal sector remains the most affected sector as employees in the sector are not unionised and their employers do not contribute to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). This makes them highly vulnerable as they cannot make a living at this time and they cannot get relief from the UIF. We welcome the call made by the SACP and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) nationally for consideration to be made for a minimum income support grant which will cover unemployed workers who do not receive any grant or payment from the UIF. To this end, the R350 earmarked for the unemployed is progressive, yet its administration and disbursement should be attended to in order to avoid problems. The assumption that all these people could be registered within a month sounds impractical, especially under lockdown conditions. Care also needs to be taken not to expose workers at the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) and Department of Home Affairs to Covid-19.
Corruption
This pandemic has exposed the wolves amongst lambs. Some in the levers of power of our own government are allegedly using the Covid-19 pandemic as their time to loot. They are looking for ways to enrich themselves and those in their circles. Others are seeing this period as their time to increase popularity. The PEC strongly condemned such behaviour.
The SACP in Moses Mabhida Province will ask the Party as the national level to engage with the Covid-19 National Command Council (NCC) and/or within the Alliance to strengthen spending regulation. In the Province, the SACP will seek engagements with the Provincial Command Councils (PCC) as well as the Provincial Treasury to ensure that they tightly regulate spending during this period and ensure that what is procured has been agreed upon at NCC or PCC. We do not want the need to call for Covid-19 Commission after the pandemic.
At this time, price gouging is the order of the day and the state is the cow that the tendering system is milking without end.
At the core of greed is the tender system in the state. We are calling for the de-tenderisation of the state. The state must rather go to the manufacturers and procure at the lowest prices that will be made available to the public for scrutiny. The local economy can also be used and benefit, where co-operatives, small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), as well as organised community members and the informal traders (the most neglected at this stage) can be given preference.
Delivery of government services
The unfortunate spread of Covid-19 has shown us that government can deliver when they are pushed to do so. Government can deliver water in a matter of weeks instead of years. They can deliver security effectively. Government can enforce compliance of laws and by-laws effectively. These steps are highly appreciated. This approach should be adopted going forward.
ISSUED BY THE MOSES MABHIDA PROVINCE
Contact
Sifiso Gwala - Provincial Spokesperson
Mobile: 0649070498
Email: sifisogwala@gmail.com
