2 December 2007
Among the many troubling features of the current period, and one that directly affects the SACP, has been an intensified targeting of our Party, and particularly of our General Secretary, cde Blade Nzimande.
The SACP and the South African public have a right to know: What has happened to the SAPS investigation, launched with much fanfare, into the bizarre claims of the discredited, so-called businessman, Charles Modise? Senior SAPS officials were very happy to be releasing all manner of untested allegations to the media when both parties felt they were on to something that compromised our General Secretary. Why is the SAPS suddenly so media shy now that the story has patently unravelled?
Of even greater concern to us is what happened this Friday night. In the middle of the night, without the courtesy of a letter or even phone-call, the SAPS protection unit deployed for several years at our General Secretary’s home was hastily withdrawn. This happened, notwithstanding a recent SAPS threat analysis that raised concerns and called for an increase in protection.
It is hard not to draw the conclusion that this might be a misguided punishment for the outcome of the previous weekend’s ANC provincial general councils nominations processes. Do some of our colleagues in high places actually share the same delusion as the apartheid regime that communists are behind all of their misfortunes?
We are making the abrupt withdrawal of SAPS protection from cde Nzimande’s home public not without some concern. We hope that this step will prompt an immediate reversal of the move. We are, of course, independenly taking our own measures to ensure the safety of cde Nzimande and other leadership of the SACP – but public safety is properly the responsibility of the state. It is outrageous that, 13 years into our new constitutionally-based democratic dispensation of which we are all immensely proud, we have even to be dealing with matters of this kind.
Issued by the SACP.
For information Contact
Malesela Maleka
SACP Spokesperson - 082 226 1802