17 May 2016
The Provincial Executive Committee of the SACP in Moses Mabhida Province held a Special PEC meeting to discuss the finalisation of the Report of the local government elections candidate selection process. The report is intended to be a base document for engagement with the African National Congress (ANC) and submission to the Central Committee of the SACP.
The meeting received reports from the districts of the Party, whose secretaries sat in the ANC-led Regional List Committees. The reports were bench-marked against the ANC local government candidate selection process.
The PEC expressed its dissatisfaction and disappointment on the manner in which the process was managed and serious concerns on the disregard of the views of the alliance partners, the community and non-compliance with the ANC's own guidelines. The view of many structures on the ground is that the ANC-led Regional and Provincial List Committee were rendered a sham or a farce.
The PEC resolved that the ANC needs to be engaged on all the irregularities and non-compliance on the candidate selection process with an intention to seek a corrective action. The National structures will also be appraised on the dissatisfaction of the SACP in the province about the manner in which the process was handled and in particular compromised.
The PEC instructed the secretariat to explore whether it is possible for the SACP to officially object to some of the corrupted processes so that they can launch an official grievance both in the province and nationally.
A report was also tabled at the PEC of an SMS that is doing rounds claiming there is an SACP plot to render the ANC ungovernable in the province. The PEC expressed its shock and disappointment but was equally not surprised by the shenanigans. These allegations are seen as part of an agenda to discredit the SACP and incite hatred against its Provincial Secretary, Cde Themba Mthembu and render him the subject of target by rogue elements.
The SACP in the province is aware of the fabrication of false information in collaboration with some intelligence operatives to apportion blame of political destabilisation within the alliance and the ANC to the SACP. This is a well thought out programme to dislodge communists, repress and liquidate them. This has been a trend in most post-liberation era in Africa and the world over.
There were strong views of an agenda to prepare the ground for blaming the SACP for any failures and blunders that may occur in the forthcoming elections. The above allegation must be seen in that context. The PEC strongly dismissed the allegation, as the work of information peddlers and anti-people, anti-communist forces who are currently having a field day in South Africa.
The PEC dismissed and condemned these machinations in the strongest terms possible.
The last thing the SACP can do is to destabilise the ANC. Such conduct is counter-revolutionary and fit in well with the agenda of imperialism.
The fabricators of the SMS and the allegations are right-wing elements within the alliance who are themselves useful tools of the enemies of the people and communists.
It is not the first time such allegations were labelled at the SACP and our Provincial Secretary. The first one was that the Provincial Secretary was responsible for the booing of the President at Harry Gwala Stadium, the second was that he planned a civil disobedience to topple Premier Dr Zweli Mkhize in what was dubbed operation Coca-Cola. In the legislature he was accused of mobilising Nehawu members and the media against former agriculture MEC to be sacked. Two weeks ago in the social media he had been accused together with the Provincial Secretary of SANCO to be behind violent protests in Umlazi. He has recently been
accused to be the chief architect of Senzo Mchunu's so called faction. The list is endless.
There are people who are doing wrong things and know that they are doing wrong things. So they need to look for people they hate to apportion the blame for their wrongdoings.
All the blunders of the apartheid regime were blamed at the communists. We survived. All the wrongdoings of the present right-wingers will be blamed at the communists. We, again, will survive it.
The SACP believes that South Africa is not going to be an exception, unless reason we work hard to ensure that the alliance and the unity of our people are strong.
The PEC instructed its officials to take this matter very seriously and report it to the national leadership, the ANC and alliance members.
The officials must also approach the police for investigations on the information peddlers and their fabrications.
The PEC further resolved to call for an alliance commission to investigate all allegations that have been levelled against each alliance partner with serious impact on the alliance's unity and cohesion. This investigation must include the serious allegations levelled against the Party that it wanted to capture the ANC in KZN. In addition, the outbreak of violent protests
emanating from the candidate selection process.
The PEC condemned the violent protests that have become a daily occurrence in many parts of the province. Violent protests and the rendering of our areas ungovernable are working against the working class, more than any other communities. So, it is not of help to resort to violence while all avenues are available to address grievances. The SACP calls upon everyone within the alliance to respect the will of the people, the character and content of our organisations.
The PEC reiterated the call made by the President of the ANC Cde Jacob Gedliyehlekisa Zuma to all cadres of the ANC, Alliance Partners and supporters of our movement when, at the 104th anniversary rally of the ANC in Rustenburg in January, he said:
"this is the year of advancing peoples' power and the ANC will ensure that our people continue to have a direct say in who leads them. The ANC agreed that our candidates for local government elections must be ANC members in good standing. We remind branches that we select three nominees at an ANC branch meeting and present our nominees at a community meeting. The community is then given an opportunity to interrogate these nominees and to give their views on who must be the candidate. The ANC branch must, unless there are overwhelming and compelling reasons to the contrary, confirm the nominee who holds the majority of community support."
"democracy and the democratic expression of the will of the majority must be protected by all citizens. There should be no spurious attempts to circumvent the legitimate exercise of peoples' power."
"it is the responsibility of all of us to fight corruption, to expose corrupt people....silence is complicity and therefore we must act to eradicate these malaise."
At the same event, the SACP General Secretary Cde Blade Nzimande in our Party's message of support said:
"this year, dear comrades, is the year for local government elections. The SACP will campaign tirelessly for the victory of our alliance and democratic people as led by the ANC. We are calling on the ANC to ensure that its processes and principles of selecting councillors are fully complied with and are not abused or manipulated by any person or grouping. We urge the ANC to ensure that no unpopular candidate councillors are imposed on our structures and communities. This will enhance the unity not only of the ANC but of alliance and our communities as a whole."
The PEC reflected deeply on the escalating protests arising out of the arrogant, reckless and fraudulent decisions in the nomination processes of councillors.
In many instances, imposition of unpopular names against the communities' chosen names are a cause for protests in our townships especially in Durban and now the killings of comrades.
The killings that are growing unabated are a function of manipulation of nomination processes. This can been avoided if we, as leaders, were honest and fair.
The killing of the poor and working class leaders is treated as normal. The Communist Party says enough is enough, no more killings!!!
Issued by the SACP Moses Mabhida Province
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Mathews Ndlovu
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