Kyle Cowan | 30 April, 2017 15:25
Blade Nzimande
Image by: Rogan Ward
The time of the South African Communist Party supporting wrong decisions made by the African National Congress simply because they are allies‚ is over.
SACP secretary General Blade Nzimande said this at the party's Chris Hani Commemoration event in Boksburg on Sunday where he was scathing in his criticism of the current state of affairs in South Africa.
Nzimande was clear that he still supported calls for President Jacob Zuma to stand down‚ saying his leaving office would be "necessary but not sufficient" as things were now far worse than they were leading up to Polokwane in 2008 when president Thabo Mbeki was recalled.
"If things continue as they are now‚ the ANC will eat itself. What will replace the ANC if it goes to conference and tears itself apart?" he asked.
"Since 1994 we have largely said because the ANC leads‚ we are going to campaign for an ANC victory. Therefore the ANC has a licence to do as it wishes‚" he said.
"But when wrong decisions are taken we are expected to defend them because we are allies.
"No. The time for that now‚ has ended‚" Nzimande said to applause from SACP supporters.
He also called for a "massive‚ militant mobilisation of the working class" to fight monopoly capital.
"If the workers of our country do not stand up now‚ our revolution will be gone‚" he said‚ explaining that trillions of rand tied up in the Public Investment Corporation were the pension and provident funds of workers.
"If the Johannesburg Stock Exchange crashes‚ it crashes with the workers' pension funds. Therefore it is reckless to say 'let the rand fall'. These people are playing with the lives of workers‚" Nzimande said.
"But the question must be asked‚ for whose benefit are your pension and provident funds invested?"
Nzimande stressed that it did not matter if the monopoly capital was white or black‚ the SACP would fight it.
"The time has come to say go and build a big communist party. Not because we are in competition with anyone‚ but for the sake of our country‚" he said.
"If people think the SACP is a Mickey Mouse party‚ they are mistaken."
SACP Gauteng Chair Joe Mpisi‚ who was equally scathing of the Gupta family in his opening remarks‚ said in closing the event that it could not be business as usual.
"If the ANC does not self-correct‚ the SACP will do what is necessary‚" Mpisi said.