07 May 2009
The SACP congratulates the President of the ANC, Cde Jacob Zuma, for his election as the fourth President on the Republic.
For the SACP the election of Cde Zuma as President of the Republic marks the victory of the will of the people over the evils of abuse of state institutions for narrow political goals. With this victory the people of South Africa are sending an important message that never again should we allow abuses of state organs to settle political scores with opponents. It is therefore also a challenge to the incoming government to ensure that state institutions do indeed serve the people and not partisan interests. The SACP is indeed confident that the Zuma-led government will indeed rise up to this and many other challenges, and will play our part in the interests of defending and deepening our democracy in favour of the workers and the poor of our country.
The SACP further commits itself to continue being on the ground to mobilize the working class in particular, and the poor in general, to build people’s power in order to ensure that indeed the priorities set out in the ANC Manifesto are realized working together with an organized people.
Cde Zuma assumes office against a backdrop of a resounding electoral victory by the ANC in the April 22 elections. The SACP will continue to work with the alliance led government to better the lives of our people and deepen participatory democracy in order for all of us, working together, to achieve the targets we have set ourselves in the election manifesto.
The SACP would also wish to condemn the opportunism of the renegades of democracy now misnamed COPE. They went to Polokwane and they were defeated. Instead they opted out of the ANC. Their ill conceived political organization went to the polls on the 22^nd April 2009 led by a little known priest and their agenda was rejected by the electorate. Consistent with their disrespect for democracy and their inability to accept the views of the majority, they wanted to sneak in their priest through a nomination in parliament. What man of the cloth accepts to be a political pawn to this extent?
Whilst we accept that every political party in parliament has a democratic right to raise whatever matter it feels strongly about, this has to be balanced against other important considerations like national interest, reconciliation, nation building and the fight against vindictiveness and bitterness in our political system. Cope has to accept that their leaders were defeated in Polokwane, their party roundly and emphatically rejected by the people in the April elections, and that Jacob Zuma is the President of the ANC, and on Saturday will become the President of the Republic. History will judge Cope harshly for being bad losers.
The SACP wishes to also take this opportunity to congratulate all the SACP cadres who have been delegated various responsibilities in provincial legislatures and Executive Councils.
Issued by the SACP
Contact
Malesela Maleka
SACP Spokesperson – 082 226 1802