25 August 2002
The newly elected Central Committee of the SACP met in Johannesburg on the 23-24 August. Among the key items of the agenda of the Central Committee were:
THE 11TH CONGRESS
In its assessment of the 11th Congress, the CC considered the Congress to have marked a very important qualitative step in the SACP's history. It was the largest Congress ever held in the Party's 81 year history, and it was characterised by a clear insistence from delegates from all over the country to assert more forcefully the SACP's distinct individuality, programmes and perspectives, but within the context of a strong commitment to an ANC led alliance. The CC believes that underpinning this correct stance is the SACP' s analysis of current trends within our society. Despite major progressive advances, the accumulation trajectory in our country continues to be one in which mass job losses persist, systemic inequality remains entrenched and poverty and marginalisation is the lot of the great majority of our people.
The CC reaffirmed the Congress perspective that the SACP needs boldly and unapologetically to be a party with and for the workers and the poor. In the coming months and from the bais of these perspectives, the SACP will engage energetically and constructively with the ANC Policy Conference and National Conference preparations.
THE NEDLAC FINANCIAL SECTOR SUMMIT
The convening of the NEDLAC Financial Sector Summit to address the role of the financial sector in economic growth and development, the plight of millions of South Africans who find themselves unbanked, the victims of ruthless loan sharks, powerful but hidden Credit Bureaux, red-lining and other practices, has been a central demand of a 2 year Campaign led by the SACP and involving more than 55 other formations. The convening, last week, of the NEDLAC Financial Services Summit represented an important achievement of the Campaign, and the CC salutes the tens of thousands of South Africans who participated in marches, pickets, rallies and discussion forums.
The Summit reached agreements on :
In the coming months the SACP, together with its allies and Communist organisations will be taking forward the campaign ensuring implementation of agreements.
THE 2002 RED OCTOBER CAMPAIGN
The CC endorsed, for this year's Red October campaign, a programme of mobilisation and a comprehensive social security system. The objectives of the Campaign will be to highlight the plight of the retrenched, unemployed, the semi-employed, the young, the elderly, the disabled and, indeed, of all those who are marginalised in our society. The Campaign will also seek to contribute constructively to the unfolding national debate on social security and poverty alleviation and taking forward government's campaign to register those who qualify to but are outside the social security net.
THE WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The CC was meeting on the eve of the historic WSSD that will bring together thousands of delegates from all over the world. The SACP welcomes the WSSD, we take pride in the fact that it is being hosted in our country, and we look forward to engaging with other participants. The SACP shares the fundamental perspective underpinning the WSSD the future of humanity and our planet depends on sustainable development. Implicit in this perspective is a recognition that the present global trajectory is not sustainable. As a communist party we are convinced that the major barriers to sustainable development arise from fundamental characteristics of the system of globalised capitalism. It is widely recognised that the patterns off production and consumption prevailing in the advanced capitalist countries cannot simply be extended throughout the world without destroying the world without destroying the planet's resource base. What is more, the fabulous wealth and opulent consumption of a few can only be sustained through the subjection of the majority of the world's people to exploitation, marginalisation and poverty.
The SACP will be joining it alliance partners in the global march for sustainable development on 31 August.
The SACP condemns those who seek to disrupt rather than to engage the Summit.
THE JEREMY CRONIN INTERVIEWS
The Central Committee discussed the interviews given by our Deputy General Secretary, Comrade Jeremy Cronin, to an Irish academic several months ago. The CC accepted Comrade Cronin's explanation that there was no intention to have these interviews published in their present form.
The CC noted, further, that these interviews had been posted many months before on a personal website. The CC expressed a concern that the sudden publicity given to these interviews on the eve of our 11th Congress may not have been fortuitous, and may well have been an intended but failed attempt to distract attention from the many important resolutions taken at our Congress. The CC expressed its full confidence in our Deputy General Secretary, and we consider the issue closed.
There are, of course, many other issues of substance, that have surfaced in the course of this matter relating to organisational challenges, the core principles of our struggle and the handling of difference between and within our organisations. The SACP will be taking these up in the appropriate forums in the coming period.
THE YOUNG COMMUNIST LEAGUE
The CC also approved a report and programme for the re-establishment of the Young Communist League by July 2003.
POLITICAL BUREAU
The CC elected the members of the SACP Political Bureau as follows:
The SACP Politburo also includes the officials elected at the 11th Congress. The CC also co-opted the following veterans:
CONTACT
Mazibuko K. Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information and Publicity
South African Communist Party
Tel - 011 339-3621/2
Fax - 011 339-4244
Cell - 083 651 0271
Email - mazibuko@sacp.org.za