SACP TO HOST CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE ON ITS 2004 RED OCTOBER CAMPAIGN ON LAND AND AGRARIAN REFORM

13 October 2004

This coming Friday, 15 October, the South African Communist Party (SACP) will host a National Consultative Conference on the Red October Campaign for Land and Agrarian Reform.

The Conference will be held as follows:

Date: Friday, 15 October 2004; 09h00 – 13h00
Venue: SACP Head Office Boardroom, COSATU House, 1 Leyds and Biccard Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg

The Conference will be concluded with a Press Briefing at 13h00.

The aims and objectives of the Conference are to:

• introduce the Red October campaign to other allies, organisations and stakeholders
• introduce the proposed campaign demands to other allies, organisations and stakeholders seek endorsements from allies, organisations and stakeholders for the Red October Campaign Programme of Action including the National Day of Action for Land, Food,bs (6 November) consolidate the campaign through inputs and participation by other allies, organisations and stakeholders brainstorm future activities and programmes after 6 November

Already, the SACP has received confirmations of attendance from more than 43 organisations including COSATU, FAWU, the National Land Committee, the Land Access Movement of SA, the Landless People's Movement, the PAC, AZAPO and other organisations. The programme for the conference will include:

• Keynote address by Blade Nzimande, SACP General Secretary
• Demands and Programme of the Red October Campaign
• Plenary discussions on the demands and programme
• Way forward beyond 6 November

The theme of the campaign is “Mawubuye umhlaba: Land, Food, Jobs!”. The campaign will focus on the challenges of land and agrarian reform, with a particular emphasis on mobilising the landless, farm-workers and the rural poor. The month-long programme of action will involve ongoing networking with a range of progressive forces, consultation and popular mobilisation. Party branches will be conducting household surveys in targeted rural and farming areas. We will hold tribunals, forums and mass meetings, and we plan for a culminating National Day of Action for Land, Food and Jobs on 6 November 2004. The month-long programme will be aimed at kick-starting a thorough-going campaign of sustained mass mobilisation on land and agrarian reform. The campaign has three key thematic pillars:

• Access to and ownership of productive land by the landless
• Access to basic services and rights for farm-workers and their families A National Land Summit

CONTACT

Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara (surname Jara)
Head of the Office of the General Secretary
South African Communist Party
Tel - 011 339 3621, Fax - 011 339 4244/6880
Cell - 083 651 0271
Email - mazibuko@sacp.org.za, sacpho@wn.apc.org (alternate)
Website - www.sacp.org.za