11 November 1999
The South African Communist Party welcomes the holding of the biennial meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government in South Africa. It is befitting that this important event is being held in our country, given the fact that South Africa has only recently freed itself from centuries of both internal and external colonialism. The meeting thus provides a unique and compelling opportunity to discuss and act upon key political and economic issues affecting the hundreds of millions of poor and working people that make up the vast majority of the populations in Commonwealth countries.
One of those key issues is globalisation. It has now become clear that, across the globe, the effects of capitalist globalisation are forcing millions more into poverty, threatening the very sovereignty of poorer, developing nations and undermining progressive developmental objectives. The Commonwealth has an added imperative to deal fundamentally with the issue of globalisation, since many of the poorest countries in the world are part of the Commonwealth and are thus the most vulnerable to its disastrous effects.
Parallel issues such as privatisation, massive job losses and the HIV/AIDs pandemic must be at the forefront of the Commonwealth agenda, and ways and means must be found to confront these scourges head on. In particular, concrete measures must be found to deal with the unequal burden that these and other socio-economic and cultural issues bring upon women. The Commonwealth meeting must not be allowed to degenerate into a public relations talk shop. It is time for the Commonwealth Heads of Government to step forward and provide practical leadership to the serious issues that demand attention.
Blade Nzimande SACP General Secretary
Issued by the SACP Department of Information & Publicity
Dr. Blade Nzimande SACP General Secretary
E-Mail: sacp1@wn.apc.org
South African Communist Party Head Office
COSATU House
No. 1 Leyds Street - 7th Floor
Braamfontein 2001
Republic of South Africa
(Tel: 27 11 339-3621/2)
(Fax: 27 11 339-4244)