Issued by the SACP Sisonke District
6 November 2004
The SACP condemns the repressive treatment by the Municipality of Matatiele (KwaZulu Natal, border with the Eastern Cape) and the SAPS Area Commissioner by arresting and charging the SACP local leadership for embarking on a lawful peaceful march which was part of the Party's nationwide campaign for land reform on 6 November.
This action is similar to the harassment of the working class organisations as witnessed in COSATU treatment by the Zimbabwean regime recently. This is surely an embarrassment to the Tripartite Alliance knowing that the Municipality is lead by the ANC.
The ANC has called on it members, public representatives and supporters to turn out in support of the SACP's actions, and to continue to engage in public discussion of the issues raised by the SACP on the basis of the ANC's policies, positions and programmes.
The ANC political leadership of the Matatiele Municipality decided to act against this mandate of its national leadership by instructing the police to arrest and charge 15 members of the SACP leadership. This happened in spite of the fact that permission was obtained for the march from the local magistrate and the police.
The SACP therefore hails the decision of the court to dismiss the charges laid against the SACP and its local leadership. The Alliance cannot afford to allow such fascist elements to sabotage legal programmes, which are earmarked to address the plight of our people, create work and fight poverty. We call on the Alliance to investigate this action by the Municipality and reprimanding the culprits.
CONTACT: Nobubele Mabusela, SACP Sisonke District Secretary, 073 132 6082