South African Communist Party Limpopo Province Media statement
20 September 2017
The SACP Limpopo Province held an ordinary Provincial Executive Committee meeting on 17 September in Polokwane. The main purpose of the meeting was to assess the state of the organisation, the challenges that faces society and the working class and the tasks thereto especially within Limpopo Province.
The SACP National Congress
The Meeting commended the SACP Central Committee leadership for hosting a successful National Congress. The congress was the largest ever and it demonstrated the gradual growth and general acceptance of the ideology of communism and the socialist program among the South African working class and the poor masses. The debate around the path to the state and popular power received highest attention and a great deal of interest in society in general which should be viewed as part of the need for more radicalisation of the National Democratic Revolution in the main and the rejection of the state capture by the parasitic bourgeoise.
As Limpopo province we would continue to engage with the debate and reflect on the way forward as per resolution of the National Congress within the context of the road map on the state and popular power.
Dipiitso le Bashumi
The SACP PEC reflected on recent public report back sessions about our National Congress in the form of dipiitso le Bashumi, the 96th Anniversary celebration and the National Membership Launch. The gatherings were characterised by large attendance and enthusiasm by our members, supporters and sympathisers.
Our key message to dipiitso was the idea of the broad popular front as one of the contemplated approaches in contesting state and popular power. The feedback received on this score from public participation would underscore our general attitude as the province on the national discourse about the future direction of the National Democratic Revolution, the Alliance and the struggle for socialism.
The state of the state in the province
a. Governance and corruption
The PEC decided that in Limpopo Province the performance of the state warrants closer attention by the SACP and its alliance partners especially the ANC which is primarily taking the lead in the state in terms of governance.
Specifically, the performance of departments and state owned enterprises (SOEs) and municipalities is a matter of general concern to the SACP. The State Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) indicates that the audit performance of Limpopo Provincial Government departments is on the decline. According to reports from SCOPA and the Auditor General the downward spiral is a clear sign of deterioration in performance of departments which moved from two in 2014 to seven qualified departments in 2017.
The deteriorating state is only in terms of legislative compliance. If there is poor audit in terms of compliance, then we ask, what about performance audit in terms of service delivery! The poor audit results are a combination of two deadly elements, on the one hand is the hiring of incompetent and mediocre cronies in strategic civil service positions and the looting with impunity of the state departments and SOEs.
In this connection, the PEC decided to take the war on anti-corruption and anti-state capture at the provincial government level to the local parasitic bourgeoisie resembling the Guptas (what the PEC refers to as the Limpopo Guptas)
b. The Vuwani impasse
The SACP calls upon the Provincial Government to expedite the implementation of the agreement reached between the State and Vuwani to stabilise the community and normalise the provisioning of services such as education which is crucial for the future of the working class youth. The state must be decisive in exposing the elements that have embedded business interests which underlie the problems of Vuwani.
Similarly we call for the provincial government to ensure close mass contact with communities on a range of community related unrest from ritual murders to gender based violence as part of enhancing public confidence in the democratic state.
c. Illegal mining and degradation of the environment
The PEC noted with grave concern the unabated spree of illegal mining activities in the chrome mineral complex in Sekhukhune. The mineral resources belong to all South Africans irrespective of the citizenry`s proximity to productions sites. The mining of mineral resources by law requires licensing right. There are several open cast mining activities taking place which are without licensing and therefore illegal in the region of Sekhukhune. The operations pose occupational harm and environmental degradation. Some of the operations take place on the perimeter fences of the communal households. The main beneficiaries of illegal mining activities still remain big capital for the chrome ore is traded at illicit trade market and finds its way back to the stock exchange markets. The SACP will embark on a campaign to ensure that common property of the people of South Africa is not illegally possessed and exploited by hooligans and big capital.
SACP District Congresses
All Districts of the SACP are now due for their congresses. The PEC set the deadline of December month for all districts to hold congresses as part of consolidating and strengthen our program of building a bigger, better and stronger SACP. The meeting urged our Districts to build alliance from below by among others working with progressive and revolutionary elements in the ANC structures at regional levels with the sole purpose of eradicating factionalism. The political and programmatic relationship between the SACP and the ANC is dormant in Limpopo Province. The last meeting held between the two structures was in September 2016. The movement from below will assist to revitalize the current situation of the absence of the Alliance at a provincial level.
Support COSATU national strike on 27 September the PEC reiterates the Central Committee directive that all our SACP structures should join COSATU national strike activities in the provinces. We call on all our SACP members to form part of processes towards and participate in the national strike on 27 September. The strike is part of our fight against state capture and corruption. The levels of unemployment, inequality and poverty have more chances of being completely wiped out from our society but for corruption and state capture by tiny elite of parasitic bourgeoisie.
Issued by the SACP Limpopo Province
For further information contact:
Gilbert Kganyago SACP Provincial Secretary - 082 609 0551
Machike Thobejane Provincial Spokesperson - 082 307 0095
SACP Office landline - 015 297 8128
