4 February 2017, White House, B-Section, Khayelitsha
The District Council of the SACP in the Brian Bunting District (Cape Town Metro), attended by its branches, units, District Executive Committee and Provincial Executive Committee deployees met in Khayelitsha, 04 February 2017.
Inspired by Mao Tse-tung`s declaration that: "Communists must at all times stand up for the truth", the Council conducted a frank analysis of the current trajectory of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) as headed by the ANC. The Council reaffirmed the commitment to deepen, advance and defend the NDR towards socialism. However, this task requires strong SACP branches, capable of championing the people`s struggles and mobilising communities as a building block towards socialism. The build up to the SACP`s district, provincial and national congresses provides an opportunity to renew the Party, and reenergise its structures as a campaigning, activist, dynamic, agile and large vanguard Party of socialism.
The Council concluded that the NDR is faced with many challenges and that the ANC, in its current form, is incapable of leading it. This includes the corporatisation of our State by the parasitic capitalists, collaborating with the leading figures of our ANC. This parasitism and grand looting of State resources reverses the gains of our democratic breakthrough and poses a danger of re-routing the NDR. Thus, the theme of the upcoming District Congress "Building Popular Power with and for the workers and the poor", helps us to locate the Party`s role in the current phase of our revolution.
On preserving the Unity of the Party
The Council noted the unwavering unity of the Party at all levels. The Party remains the most united, coherent and the reliable ally to defend the interests of the working class. However, this unity and coherence presents a threat to our detractors and enemies. The enemies of our revolution are hard at work, trying to sow disunity among our ranks. They believe that in order to capture our movement and re-route the NDR, they must first infiltrate and defocus the Socialist Axis. Different factionalist groupings, including the 1996 Class Project and the New Tendency unsuccessfully attempted to launch an offensive to on Party and the broader Socialist Axis. The current "Smash and Grab Parasitic tendency" is repeating the same mistake, and will no doubt fail. Thus, those collaborating with these enemies of our revolution within our own ranks must be exposed. Hence the Council reaffirmed its commitment to the Unity of the Party and the role of communists in defending of the NDR from the "Smash and Grab Parasitic tendency" The Council viewed this tendency as an immediate threat to our revolution and it must be crushed.
On the war against smash and grab parasitic tendency
The District Council noted that the Party has over time campaigned against illegal deductions of monies by Cash Paymaster Services (CPS)/Net1 from the social grants beneficiaries. Our struggle to confront the collaboration of these parasites with some political leading figures in the Department of Social Development has been undermined. Our call for the termination of social grants distribution contract with CPS and the laying of criminal charges against CPS has been flatly ignored by the Department of Social Department. Thus, an attempt to extend the contract of CPS with twelve months is a ploy to extend looting to fund factionalist campaigns for the leadership of our revolutionary movement.
The District Council therefore reaffirmed the Party`s unwavering call for the distribution rights of social grants to be transferred with immediate effect to the South African Post Office. This will strengthen State capacity as a building block towards socialism, and in building a popular power with and for the working class.
The District Council also noted the mass looting of resources from the State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), including Eskom, Prasa, Transnet, SAA and Denel. This too undermines the capacity of these important leavers of development to lead the radical transformation agenda in the second radical phase of the NDR. Thus, unethical political leadership, widespread corruption and the maladministration undermine the capacity of these SOEs to lead the development agenda of our country.
To this end, the Council congratulated the Ad-hoc Committee on SABC on its meticulous and courageous work to confront parasitism, juvelinism and wide-spread looting of resources in the SABC. While Hlaudists tried to undermine the Parliamentary enquiry, the Committee remained resolute. This asserted the constitutional authority of Parliament and its oversight role over the Executive. Therefore, the Party calls on Parliament to extend its probe to other SOEs and public entities, particularly SASSA, Transnet, Eskom, SAA and Denel. Thus, the Council resolved to stage a picketing outside Parliament on 07 February for an immediate Parliamentary enquiry on the SOEs and SASSA.
In defence of the working class
The battle lines are drawn. The District Council noted the continued institutional assault on the working class by the City of Cape Town. It further noted the continued harassment and displacement of hawkers in the streets of Bellville and Cape Town; the ongoing displacement of the people of Woodstock in favour of business by the City of Cape Town; and the imposed water restriction measures that are mainly targeting the township economy. While the natural resources including water must be preserved, the working class must not be used as measures to respond to conspicuous consumption by the reckless capitalists and the rich. Thus, the Council reaffirmed the Party`s vanguard role of championing the struggles of the working class. Thus, the Council declared 2017 as the year of activism, with special focus on institutionalised discrimination by the City of Cape Town.
Qina Msebenzi campaign
The Council resolved on intensifying its Qina Msebenzi campaign and to march to the Building Industry Bargaining Council (BIBC) in the fight for transformation and against the bloodbath of retrenchments, lay-offs, health and safety, skilling of workers. The construction sector is one of the most untransformed sectors of our economy with the black working class still relegated to being labour and general workers. It is within this context that the SACP support the ongoing NUM members lunch hour picketing at the building sites of NMC a construction company based in Cape Town, a picketing opposed to the bloodbath retrenchments and endless lay-forms. In our view, these retrenchments are part of the neo-liberal restructuring of South Africa`s work-places for purposes of outsourcing. The NUM must remain resolute in its fight against outsourcing in the construction sector in particular.
Defend SATAWU from the corrupt business unionist Zenzo leadership clique
The District Council supported the statement issued by the SACP in the Province on the dismissal of SATAWU`s Provincial Secretary comrade Thembela Dakuse. The District Council condemned the dismissal of cde Thembela and ultimately the disbandment of the Provincial Office Bearers of the union with the strongest terms it deserves. The District Council characterised Cde Thembela Dakuse`s dimissal part of the anti-communist agenda by corrupt business unionists who are bent on using workers hard-earned wages for their own narrow interests. It is this corrupt leadership which connived with PRASA bosses over the dismissal of more than 100 workers after the strike to fight for the better working conditions of many workers who have been on contracts for years. To the Zenzo leadership clique, SATAWU is nothing but a vehicle for self-accumulation of wealth and dispensary patronage to cronies. The SACP in the Brian Bunting District calls for forensic investigation on the workers` money under the Zenzo leadership clique and an immediate reinstatement of the Western Cape Provincial Secretary and its POBC.
The Council calls on the Party at a National level to engage with COSATU to intervene decisive in the SATAWU matter before the union of Arch ZZ Zibeko gets liquidated by the Zenzo leadership clique.
On the international front
The Council characterised the political landscape in the U.S. and Europe as a signs of a crumbling system of capitalism. It further noted the re-emergence of the right-wing demagoguery, populist, protectionist and conservative nationalism through Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump. This right-wing opportunism is gaining momentum and allies here in South Africa.
The visits by the Democratic Alliance to apartheid Israel and to Taiwan against the South African foreign policy signals increase of confidence in the right-wing opportunism. These developments impose a danger of an expansion of imperialism. To this end, the Council pledged their revolutionary solidarity with the people of Cuba, people of Latin America and the Muslim community at large who are and will continue to be the first casualties of Trumpism and right-wing and protectionist nationalism
On the Moroccan and Western Saharan question
The Council supports the resolution of the African Union (AU) for mass withdrawal from the International Constitutional Court (ICC). However, the Council registered its disappointment at the AU`s decision to readmit Morocco as its Member State. The Council condemned the disruptive posture of the Government of Botswana and its flirtation with imperialism. Its support of the readmission of Morocco into AU and its position against the mass withdrawal of African countries from the ICC is in sharp contrasts with the African agenda. To this end, the Council affirmed its revolutionary solidarity with the people of Western Sahara in their fight against the colonial occupation by Morocco.
For More information contact
Benson Ngqentsu
District Secretary
0827966400
0838091142