17 February 1997
The Provincial Executive of the SACP met over the weekend of 15 and 16 September in Montagu for a strategic retreat. A program of action has been developed by the executive, based on the national program of the Party, which will be taken to the provincial council of the Party in March for finalisation.
A wide range of issues were considered by the executive. A series of campaigns activities are planned in the coming year around fundraising and political education to consolidate the Party structures in the Western Cape. In keeping with the ANC's call for this to be the Year of Reaffirming the ANC Cadre, cadres of the Party will be a focus of Party attention. The Party wants to ensure that women cadres are built in particular.The political thrust of the Parties campaigning work will be on promoting unity of the working class in the Western Cape and strengthening the organisation that represent the working class. Key to this will be preparing an input on a socialist program for the country in this the SACP year of Consolidating the Socialist Perspective. The Party is putting a strong emphasis is on the anti-crime campaign, in particular the issue of violence against women and children.
A number of activities and events are planned for the year, including a gender conference, a conference on local government and three political education schools. The Party also plans to intervene on key issues affecting the Western Cape, including the Olympic Bid, developing an industrial policy for the Western Cape that is biased towards the working class, and attempting to ensure that the issue of the moving of Parliament does not affect the Western Cape detrimentally.
The PEC also finalised the cooption of two additional members to the executive and appointed Andrew Madella as the Acting Deputy Secretary.
Issued by: SACP Western Cape Provincial Office
Phillip Dexter - Provincial Secretary