Statement of the South African Communist Party on the road map to consolidate Mangaung Unity moment in Limpopo Province

22 January 2013

The SACP Limpopo Province held its ordinary meeting on the 20th January 2013 in Polokwane. The main discussion was around how the SACP must play a central role to facilitate and expedite the process of filtering down to the province and branches of the tri-partite alliance the tasks of building unity as displayed at ANC National Conference and implementation of the alliance programme broadly within Limpopo Province.

The SACP moves from the premise that the ANC is the leader of the tri-partite alliance which is comprised of the SACP and Cosatu. The decisions and resolutions the ANC arrived at through various platforms especially a National Conference inevitably affects the SACP to a certain extent in terms of taking responsibility for the revolutionary implementation. The ANC commended the SACP for being a worthy, dependable and reliable ally. We would like to continue along these lines even in Limpopo Province by seeking to strengthen the tri-partite alliance through programmatic unity to further our historic mission and programme for the total emancipation of the working class and the rural masses.

The SACP appreciates the fact that the task of uniting and strengthening the tri-partite alliance begins with the provincial structures and rests with the leadership. In other words the affected structures must generate solutions to meet these challenges. This is what the SACP terms ‘taking responsibility for the revolution.’

To this end, the SACP PWC has decided to embark on a political framework for engagement and the wayforward in rebuilding the tri-partite alliance in Limpopo Province. We termed this political frame work ‘The South African Communist Party Road Map To Consolidate The Post Mangaung Unity Moment within the Tri-partite alliance in Limpopo Province’. We believe that this process must be devoid of opportunism, triumphalism and excitement tendencies Post Mangaung and a deviation from revolutionary principles. Our understanding of unity is that it involves an organic process from the grassroots to the provincial level. Unity must be characterised by honesty, openness and frankness among allies through a process of struggle. Unity is not about papering over the cracks or grandstanding among the leadership. It must be genuine and address itself to the concrete living and working conditions of the working class and the rural poor who still look up the tripartite alliance for leadership and loyal service.

On its part, the SACP in Limpopo Province will engage its tri-partite alliance partners especially the ANC in Limpopo Province as part of affirming our commitment to the serve the working class and the rural masses to realise a better life all on the following basis:

• To develop a common joint alliance programme towards effective service delivery to the working class and the rural masses
• To develop organisational capacities for the implementation of resolutions of respective alliance partners towards 2014 national elections
• Improve the confidence of the masses in alliance leadership by a) the restructuring of provincial administration and cabinet dissolution to effectively serve the working class and the rural masses b) to eradicate any form of maladministration and corruption in the provincial state c) to halt all senior civil service deployments and adjudication of major service provision contracts d) that the alliance must be the command centre in terms of decision making in relation to all of the abovementioned aspects.

An alliance rebuilding process and the Post Mangaung Unity Road Map will be tabled for discussion at an alliance meeting envisaged in the near future. The SACP is accountable to its membership and the working class constituency. It is for this reason that we make known to the working class of our intentions and programme in the coming few weeks and the rest of 2013 and 2014. As the SACP we reject any notion of wheeling and dealing among leadership in smoke filled boardrooms where key decisions which affects our constituency are taken without their awareness and input.

The SACP PWC is making a call to its structures at district or regional and branch levels to initiate contact with the ANC and Cosatu to engage in a process of consolidating Post Mangaung Unity Moment in advancing the interests and aspirations of the working class. The SACP in Limpopo Province will not drop the ball on the matters we have consistently raised since 2011 which are:

• to continue with intensification of our fight against corruption within the Limpopo Provincial Administration and Cabinet and across all municipalities in the province. In addition, to tackle corruption at higher learning institutions particularly the University of Limpopo which is alleged to have issued out tenders to certain companies associated with the so-called Friends of the Youth League unseat the leadership of our alliance nationally. The University of Limpopo Council must take the public into confidence on the steps taken and progress made to deal with such corruption allegations. In addition we call upon the trade unions, the student organisations and professionals to jointly tackle the scourge of corruption at the University of Limpopo without fear of intimidation or favour.
• where ill-discipline rears its ugly head our alliance structures must take decisive actions promptly
• we reject arbitrary removal of democratically and duly elected councillors and mayors without consultation of the alliance and branches
• we call upon the law enforcement agencies to take the public into confidence on the progress being made to finally bring to justice those individuals who are implicated in corruption such as On Point Engineering co. and Ratanang Trust associated with the former president of the ANCYL Mr Julius Malema
• The SACP will not lay into a trap of factionalists who are now supporting the call for unity for the sake of protecting their positions and privileges.

Unity is the basis for our alliance revolutionary programme. And there is no unity in general. Unity must be characterised by high levels of political consistency, discipline, working class culture and morality. It is with these in mind that the SACP in Limpopo Province has decided to engage on a process to rebuild the tri-partite alliance and the rest of the mass democratic movement to deepen and advance our historic mission of building working class power to attain a better life for all.

Issued by Gilbert Kganyago – Provincial Secretary SACP Limpopo Province

Contact: 072 586 7340 or 015 297 7856