SACP KZN Media Statement following the party`s elective congress

18 August 2011

The SACP in KwaZulu Natal held a successful elective provincial congress from 13th to the 16th of October in uMfolozi FET College, formerly known as Esikhawini.

It was attended by 1130 delegates coming from across the length and breadth of the province representing branches and Districts of the SACP.

It was also attended and addressed by the alliance leadership who led their high level delegations.

The congress was convened under the theme ‘Crush Liberal Offensive and Populist Demagogue – Defend Marxist Leninist Principles and Discipline – Advance Working Class Leadership".

The 6th Provincial congress was held following a resounding victory by our alliance partner the ANC in local government elections this year in which we won many municipalities previously controlled by IFP.

The people of KwaZulu Natal have conferred more political trust to the ANC and its alliance to change their lives to the better particularly those in rural areas. The Party pledges to work closely with ANC and the whole of the Alliance in KwaZulu Natal to concretely effect change to the poor.

The Congress noted the ever encouraging growth of the Party in KZN as well as in the whole country and dedicate that to the strong political work and visible programs undertaken by the party

This provincial congress also confirm the need of closing ranks between the two left formations (COSATU and SACP) as dictated by the concrete conditions in the pursuit of building a socialist South Africa.

In this congress delegates reminded us that these two formations are independent organizations, and yet at an ideological and political level they are inseparably bound by a common class enemy.

The weakening or defeat of the working class struggle by the forces of counter revolution threaten the ideals that the struggles of both these organizations represent.

The congress discussed among others ideological and battles of ideas, Party and State Transformation, Party Building, gender transformation, economic transformation and finance and fundraising.

After frank and robust discussions the congress resolved, among others:

• That the Party re-affirms its commitment to the National Democatic Revoultion as the path to socialism.

• That the South African Communist Party (SACP) is the Marxist and Leninist Party which draws at all material times its analysis and application from Marxist and Leninist philosophy.

The 6th provincial congress affirms:

• That the Party in KwaZulu-Natal will continue to grow through a rigorous programme aimed at recruiting and mobilising the working class around the needs of the society.

• Its commitment to a rigorous and intensive fundraising drive in order to ensure a vibrant Party that is able to tackle challenges confronting the working class in the province.

• That the Party will mobilize the working class through the Red October campaign to support for the introduction of the National Health Insurance (NHI) system in April 2012.

• That the provincial leadership will conduct workshops and political classes on the party`s perspective of the New Growth Path. In line with this, the SACP will engage the ANC to convene a Provincial Alliance Economic Summit before the National Policy Conference of the ANC in 2012.

• That, as KwaZulu-Natal is hosting province for COP 17 all structures of the Party at all levels must be taken through the challenges facing the world and ensure the hegemony of the working class in the deliberations of COP 17.

• That the SACP should remain a true representative of the working class and should continue to advocate and campaign for quality service delivery to our people. In the same spirit condemns the under spending by different government departments in the province. The SACP commits itself to work together with the broader society in repositioning and improving the state of Education in this province in particular and the whole country in general. And that the campaign will start as part of our Red October Campaign and move beyond.

• Its commitment to work tireless in ensuring political stability in the province through the consistent political and ideological role of the SACP in strengthening and ensuring functioning Alliance.

• Similarly, we reiterate our commitment to safeguard the revolutionary character and integrity of our democracy and movements led by the ANC with the combat ready vanguard Party of socialism. Our revolution seeks to mobilize all people and strata in society for their contribution to the national democratic discourse in a democratic and peaceful manner. It is in this context that we will reject and fight with all our power any form of counter revolution even if the platform is organized on seemingly legitimate demands.

• Equally, whilst the Party accepts all progressive formations that can contribute to the revolutionary working class struggle including the youth of our country, they should know that in class terms they constitute a mere social strata of classes in society and can never be misled to think they are a class on their own. We are cognizant that this strata can contribute immensely to the success of either of the class forces and particularly the revolutionary class movements.

• That corruption remains a counter-revolutionary exercise and the SACP at all material times should fight it consistently through its corruption campaign.

• The party also noted a growing trend in the province in which the state institutions are used for party political and factional purposes such as in the recent Amigos case. This growing trend is foreign to the ANC and its alliance in KwaZulu-Natal and should be crushed through masses of the people.

• The congress also condemned the manner in which the notorious "Vlakplaas style" Cator Manor Organised Crime Unit is conducting itself. This unit has perhaps been responsible for the deaths of more suspects at its hands than those who have been prosecuted. Police are not killers but they must arrest suspects so that they will be prosecuted and jailed.

• Congress also resolved that the SACP in the Province should be in contact with the Party at a national level to monitor the growing threats that there could be attacks on senior party leaders and their families especially in this province in the run-up to the Mangaung conference. The SACP in the province is aware that certain national leaders who are from this province and their families have been targeted in the planned "terrorist" attacks which would also include kidnapping of their family members to create anarchy and try to embarrass this administration that it is not in charge of the state security organs.

• Finally the congress elected new leaders who are as follows: The Provincial Chairperson Cde J. NXumalo; Deputy Chair Cde D. Caluza; Provincial Secretary Cde T. Mthembu, Deputy Provincial Secretary Cde F. Bhengu; Treasurer Cde M. Mathonsi.

For more information please contact Provincial Secretary Themba Mthembu at 0833036988