9 September 2020

The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Northern Cape Province has noted with great concern the unwarranted yet well thought-out attacks on the SACP and its leadership especially its leader, the Provincial Secretary. These have been veiled as so called “fight against corruption, nepotism and PPE procurement” flawed processes.

While this is a necessary fight that must be undertaken by all South Africans, we must reject those who want to use this as a launching pad to reduce and erode the Party’s support and appreciation in the broader body politic of our province and in the country. This includes those who blindly pursue their narrow factional interests at the expense of the truth. Those who have been at the centre of driving these malicious untruths are opposed to what the Party stands for.

These malicious elements driving an opportunistic political agenda that is motivated by their own factional interests, have pounced on an innocent and legitimate business of Kamo Trading, of which the wife of the Provincial Secretary is the Director. It was distorted and taken out of the proportions of the truth. They have sought to draw him into a gratuitous controversy which is not borne out by reality and facts.

The indisputable facts to this unfortunate story are as follows:

• Kamo Trading was transparently invited, like all other service providers, to submit a quotation to SAPS.
• Upon advice from the Provincial Secretary to her spouse, Mme Shushu did not proceed with the supply of masks to SAPS despite having been granted an order.
• There was therefore no transaction between SAPS in Pretoria and her company and no payment made to her nor her company, which is a legitimate entity and is compliant with all legal requirements for companies.
• This can be confirmed and verified through National Treasury and SAPS documents which are open to the public.

As the SACP in the Northern Cape, we have been taken into confidence by the Provincial Secretary and have acquainted ourselves with these facts and truth. We are satisfied with his version of the story and accepted them fully. We thus continue to place trust and confidence in his ability, capability and integrity to pursue the fight against corruption.

Attempts to shift the genuine fight against corruption onto a terrain that has been calculated as the most favourable to force the SACP to react must be exposed. They intend to produce a negative narrative about the SACP while hegemonising public perception on social media, print media and general public discourse into their untruths.

Throughout the State of Disaster due to the novel COVID-19 global pandemic, the Provincial Secretary has continued to carry out his responsibilities with total respect for our people and the little resources at government’s disposal. In his capacity as the SACP Northern Cape Provincial Secretary and through his personal convictions, he has led, supported and continues to stand by the SACP’s Red Card to Corruption Campaign.

That includes the call to do away with the tender system which has continued to deepen and entrench income inequalities through corruption and looting of state resources led by tendentrepreneurs who are in essence "rent-seeking compradorial networks" with political connections benefitting unfairly from public funds. They have no souls nor regard for genuine entrepreneurship and cooperatives that have been in existence and are hard hit by the pandemic.

Those who steal from the public purse have total disregard for the havoc caused by the pandemic, the loss of lives by frontline workers, loss of jobs and income streams and the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide that have sharply increased as a result of the crises.

It is against this backdrop that the SACP in the Northern Cape Province extends an invitation to any person who may have evidence to substantiate the frivolous allegations and aspersions casted through that video, pictures and commentary on social media, to present such to the relevant authorities for further investigation and prosecution where wrongdoing has been established.

ISSUED BY THE SACP NORTHERN CAPE

Contact:

Patrick Bosiame

SACP Northern Cape Provincial Spokesperson

Mobile: 081 374 8233