Thursday, 22 August 2024: - The SACP in the Western Cape held its Provincial Working Committee (PWC) meeting extended to Districts on 20 August 2024 virtually. This meeting comes shortly after the province hosted – in OR Tambo Hall, Khayelitsha on 4 August 2024 – a successful 103rd Anniversary since the founding of the SACP as the Communist Party of Soutth Africa in Cape Town in July–August 1921.
68th Anniversary of the historic women’s march against the Apartheid pass-laws-forward to women’s month
The month of August is a historic month in our national calender. It is the National Women’s Month, in recognition of the historic role played by women in our struggle for liberation and social emancipation, including the emancipation of women from patriarchal domination. Women’s role in the struggle includes the massive 1956 Women’s March led by formidable and courageous women including Albertina Sisulu, Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Sophia de Bruyn and Rahima Moosa to mention a few, with an overwhelming participation by working-class women. This year marks the 68th anniversary of the iconic August 1956 Women’s march towards national liberation of the historically oppressed and equal rights regardless of race and gender.
As we celebrate the Women’s Month, on the one hand, we are deeply concerned, on the other hand, by the alarming levels of violence against women. Gender-based violence is as unacceptable as other forms of interpersonal violence. It must have no space in our society. The PWC strongly denounced the absence of a comprehensive strategy from the DA-led provincial government to tackle gender-based violence and barriers to women empowerment in the Western Cape.
Collapse of the Chatsworth dam walls in the Swartland Municipality
The catastrophic dam wall collapse in Chatsworth in Swartland municipality resulted in numerous injuries and the displacement of hundreds of our people. The Ward Committee reported warnings and concerns to both the Swartland local municipality and the MEC Anton Bredel but nothing happened to stop the catastrophe when it was still potential. We therefore re-iterate our call that the investigation into the catastrophe must be completed as a matter of urgency – for all the authorities responsible for the neglect that allowed the catastrophe to happen to be held liable and accountable.
The SACP also calls for the acceleration of the reconstruction and recovery of the homes affected people in Swartland.
The SACP rejects Premiers Winde’s call for privatisation of the Port of Cape Town
The SACP rejects calls made by the neo-liberal DA-led provincial government calling for profit-driven private hands’ involvement in the Port of Cape Town. We re-affirm that Transnet National Ports Authority should remain the custodian of the Port of Cape Town.
We urge other levels of government to play a supportive role. This should reposition the enterprise towards a path of operational efficiency and sustainability as one of the developmental engines in our economy.
SACP rejects the imminent reduction of teacher posts by the Western Cape provincial government
The SACP is outraged by the decision of the Western Cape Department of Education to cut teacher posts for the 2025 year by a massive 2,407. The Western Cape has not performed optimally in academic outcomes over a sustained period. This move will further compromise educational performance and outcomes by, among others, compounding the skewed resource allocation between schools in affluent areas and those in townships and rural communities. The Western Cape wants to use austerity measures as a pretext to further discriminate schools in working-class communities. It is these communities that will bear the brunt of the reduction in teacher posts.
As the SACP stands with the progressive teacher union, SADTU, in rejecting the DA ploy to undermine education in working-class communities. The DA-led government refused to reprioritise budgets for high priority items, such as teaching and learning, to achieve better educational outcomes.
SACP calls for an integrated government efforts to combat crime and extortion syndicates.
The South African Police Service (SAPS), supported by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Special Task Force and other law enforcement authorities foiled a cash-in-transit heist operation on 5 August 2024 in Town Two Khayelitsha. This is evident that integrated operations can be effective. The SACP therefore calls for further and more integrated operations targeting extortion activities across the province. Law Enforcement Advancement Plans officers should join hands to prevent, combat and investigate crime, the latter to ensure successful prosecution, as opposed to being used as JP Smith’s public relations propaganda tools.
The release of the suspects in this case in point is a deliberate attempt to subvert the law. We appeal appeal to those who participated in the investigation and who could not present the suspects before the court within the prescribed legal timeframes to be held accountable. The South African Police Services must do everything possible to bring back the suspects on the roll for prosecution to be held accountable.
We also call for a speedy investigation following the killing of spaza- or tuck-shop owners in Hout-Bay.
Another integrated operation by law enforcement authorities should be rolled out to avert further killings.
SACP welcomes the reopening of the central rail lane
The SACP warmly welcomes the reopening of the central lane by PRASA, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa. This bodes well for our longstanding working-class demand for the implementation of an affordable, reliable, safe and efficient public transport system.
We call for the integration of the rail network into the wider public transport system to ease mobility and reduce the cost of commuting for workers and the poor. We call on all train commuters and the broader public to be vigilant against thugs that terrorise commuters and sabotage the rail network. In addition, law enforcement authorities across the board should be deployed to all trains to ensure the safety and protection of train commuters.
On coalitions in our political landscape
Following the May 2024 elections and the resultant Government of National Unity, there are palace politics in the Western Cape as coalitions are formed in hung and unstable municipalities. These coalition arrangements are inherently fragile and susceptible to collapse. This situation is of concern to the SACP in the Western Cape, as our ANC-led democratic movement has not won a single by-election since the current provincial leadership assumed office. Therefore, it is increasingly becoming obvious that the current leadership is more on negotiating coalition deals rather than prioritising the strategic imperative of renewal in order to position the movement to recover the trust of the electorate.
The obsession with coalition deals only serves parasitic patronage networks and exposure to alleged corrupt activities. A new phenomenon of a smash-and grab parasitic patronage networks has emerged within the body politics of our movement. The counter-revolutionary character of this network lies in its objective to weaken accountability to the movement and the alliance. Amongst other things, some of the municipalities that the movement leads are under scrutiny in the public domain for malfeasance.
Against this backdrop, the SACP calls for accountability regarding the reported missing amount of R41 million in the Theewaterskloof local municipality and the R37 million debt of a businessperson that was allegedly written off by the Knysna local municipality. In the interests of renewal and reconfiguration of the alliance, the SACP in the Western Cape calls for the establishment of Deployment and Accountability systems constitutive of the alliance, led by credible and incorruptible individuals, to oversee future coalition negotiations and to hold both the serving and removed deployees in the executive accountable.
Presently, for instance, the Bitou coalition is on the verge of collapse, and the exact reasons behind the deterioration of relations between the ANC's coalition partners remain unclear. We hope and trust that no corruption or maladministration scandals will be exposed in this municipality as that will further tarnish the image of the ANC.
Citrusdal by-election forward to the ANC victory
The meeting received and deliberated upon a report regarding the by-election in ward two Citrusdal, after which the PWC reiterated its backing of the ANC's triumph. Considering the grievances voiced by ordinary people, particularly those residing in Riverview, we urge the ANC at both the regional and provincial levels to attentively consider and effectively tackle the concerns of our people as an imperative step towards securing victory in the forthcoming by-election.
SACP rejects ANC’s bogus Provincial List Committee and partial implementation of Kgalema Report in Western Cape
The SACP rejects the partial implementation of the Kgalema Motlanthe report by the ANC in the province. This is carried out through a bogus Provincial List Committee (PLC) that excludes representation alliance components – SACP, COSATU, and SANCO – and the leagues – ANC Veterans League, ANC Women's League, and ANC Youth League and the Young Communist League. The SACP urges the Electoral Commission and the Secretary General’s Office to immediately dissolve this bogus Provincial List Committee that seeks to subvert the intentions of the Kgalema Report and put a stop to the machinations of the ANC PEC.
Furthermore, the report's findings must be consistently and fully implemented across the province to restore democratic, transparent, fair, and just organizational processes. It should also foster confidence within the alliance, among organization members, and in society, in the spirit of renewal and reconfiguration of the alliance.
Now is the time for a strong ANC headed alliance in the opposition benches and outside government!
Given the outcomes of the 2024 general elections, where the ANC in the Western Cape received 19 per cent of votes, translating to eight seats in the provincial legislature, we call for the rebuilding of a focused, united, coherent and activist ANC and Alliance, and leagues capable of mounting a strong fight against the neo-liberal DA. For this to happen, the ANC leadership must put an end to the current debilitating machinations that undermine both the organisation and its historical mission. Instead, the ANC headed alliance must concentrate on revitalising its commitment to the working-class and marginalised communities in the Western Cape. A strong and united ANC and Alliance, and leagues, must be on the streets picketing and marching alongside our communities against divisive and segregationist DA policies and form part of the everyday struggles of the people.
Issued by:
South African Communist Party Western Cape
For enquiries:
Benson Ngqentsu - Provincial Secretary
082 796 6400
Lizwi Gegule - Provincial Spokesperson
078 827 2274
Issued by the South African Communist Party,
Founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa.
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