28 February 2002
Today, as negotiations at the National Economic Development and Council (NEDLAC) on the financial sector start, the South African Communist Party (SACP) calls on all South Africans to use the month of March to direct and increase pressure on private commercial banks and the financial sector as a whole. This is in line with, and in support of the ANC Programme of Action for March which focuses on Human Rights. The rampant discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS by many financial institutions is a violation of human rights. The redlining of the majority of townships, rural areas and inner cities undermines the human rights of our people to a decent life. The denial of credit, banking services and affordable interest rates to informal traders and the majority of South Africans is a violation of human rights. Capitalism itself is a violation of human rights.
Since the submission of demands on the financial sector to the Banking Council of South Africa and government in October 2000, there has been slow progress at NEDLAC. We need to use our power to speed up the negotiations, and support our demands on the transformation and diversification of the financial sector.
This call has been endorsed by the Financial Sector Campaign Forum which met yesterday in Johannesburg to prepare for the NEDLAC negotiations. This Forum represents more than 55 organisations from the youth, women, small businesses, religious, trade union and informal trade sectors. Specifically, the Forum has declared the period from Saturday, 16 March to Saturday, 24 March as a Week of Action for Socio-economic Rights.
The programme for the Week of Action will include a Launch Rally, Worker's and People's Assemblies in each province and pickets in front of banks and insurance companies. The Assemblies will be held in workplaces and communities in order to report back on how far the campaign is, report back on the NEDLAC negotiations, to consolidate the demands for the NEDLAC Summit and to mobilise communities behind the campaign. Full details of these events will be released in due course.
Once more, the SACP strongly calls on all South Africans to support this Week of Action in order to support our demands to NEDLAC and to put pressure on the financial sector.
CONTACT
Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara
Department of Media, Information and Publicity
South African Communist Party
Tel - 011 339 3621
Fax - 011 339 4244
Cell - 083 651 0271
Email - sacp1@wn.apc.org