13 November 2003
The Sixth Plenary Session of the 11th Congress Central Committee (CC) of the South African Communist Party (SACP) will be held as an extended meeting in Johannesburg from 14 to 16 November 2004.
In its agenda, the CC meeting will discuss the following:
This will be the biggest national meeting of the SACP since its 11th Congress in July 2002. The extended CC meeting will be attended by:
"This extended CC meeting is the SACP's war council ahead of the elections and the 10th anniversary of our freedom", said Blade Nzimande, SACP General Secretary.
The meeting will also be addressed by Manne Dipico, ANC Head of Elections, and Joel Netshithenzhe, Head of the Government Communication and Information Services, on the ANC 2004 Election Campaign and the report on the 10-year review of the ANC government's performance.
POLITICAL REPORT OF THE SACP SECRETARIAT
On the opening day, Blade Nzimande will table the Political Report of the SACP Secretariat which focuses on an SACP political assessment of the year 2003 and lays the basis for an SACP approach to 2004 and the elections campaign. The report pays attention to key moments in 2003 including the 10th anniversary commemoration of the death of Chris Hani, the Growth and Development Summit, the Financial Sector Charter, the COSATU Congress and the current crisis in our movement.
2004 PROGRAMME OF ACTION
The draft programme of action to be tabled and discussed by the CC proposes that the key focus of the SACP in 2004 must be to build working class power for a better life for all. The draft programme of action states that this will be achieved through
- Building Working Class Power Towards an Overwhelming ANC Victory in the 2004 General Election
- Building Working Class Power for Sustainable Livelihoods where we Stay: through Co-operatives, Local Economic Development, Social Security and Access to Services
- Building Working Class Power where we Work
- Combating the HIV/AIDS Pandemic including the roll-out of the anti-retroviral programme
- Building the Alliance from Below
- International Solidarity work
ELECTIONS CAMPAIGN
The CC is expected to reaffirm that the Party's overriding goal in the 2004 elections campaign is an overwhelming ANC victory. The Party will use the election campaign to strengthen itself and start the implementation of its medium-term vision.
The Party will emphasise the issue of an Alliance approach and programme of implementation of the election manifesto after the election, in order to minimise tensions and conflicts over interpretation of meaning of manifesto and implications for its implementation.
Party input on the election manifesto focuses on strengthening the public sector, access to services, the financial sector, the implementation of key agreements of the Growth and Development Summit – labour intensive public works programmes, co-operatives, and targeted investments.
The Party will publicly release an SACP Elections Message. The Party has developed and implemented a sustained thrust in the urban African working class in KZN and the coloured working class in the Western Cape in order to ensure that the ANC wins these provinces outright.
The Young Communist League must continue with its important work of convening youth forums in targeted areas (townships, informal settlements, rural areas and tertiary institutions) focusing on matters affecting youth most closely.
CONTACT
Mazibuko K. Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information & Publicity
South African Communist Party
Tel – 011 339-3621/2, Fax - 011 339-4244,Cell - 083 651 0271
Email - mazibuko@sacp.org.za