Comrade chair, fellow delegates, the Deputy President and Secretary General of the ANC, the General Secretary of COSATU, the president of the ANC Women’ s League, the president of SANCO, and other leadership of the ANC, COSATU as well as representatives of other organisations that have participated in this historic strategy and policy conference of the SACP. Let me start by thanking all of you for your valuable contributions, your disciplined behaviour, the comradely atmosphere of these debates and discussions, but most of all for the seriousness with which you have approached this conference.
This conference will go down in the history of the Party as a historic occasion. This is not only because of the fact that it is only the second legal national gathering of Communists since 1990, apart from our Congresses of course. But the timing of this conference and the issues it has begun to address have ensured that we have qualitatively developed through our reflections here the level theory, discussion and debate in the SACP. This, we believe, will spill over into and benefit the Tri-Partite Alliance, ensuring that the issues the Party has identified become issues for the movement as a whole to address. However, this refinement of our perspective as Communists is not for academic reasons. We are holding this conference precisely because we are serious about building socialism. We are using this time therefore to prepare for battle with our class enemy. Our discussions are to refine our theory in order to guide our practice. We must say that in this respect this conference has been an overwhelming success.
A number of delegates have remarked that this exercise has been so useful that we should consider making it an annual event. If this conference agrees with that we will take this recommendation back to the Central Committee for a decision.
A significant aspect of this conference has been the participation of our allies, the ANC and COSATU. The inputs from leaders of these fraternal organisations and their leaders have been one of the highlights of this conference. The tone and quality of these inputs has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that there are no strategic contradictions in this Alliance. This conference shows that when we spend quality time together as political leaders, we close all the gaps that the bourgeoisie, its media, its agents, and its lackeys constantly try to exploit. In today’s Sunday Times a senior journalist, apparently a political scientist or expert has once again signed off on the obituary of the Alliance. Those who have participated in this conference will be able to testify that the Alliance is not only alive and well, but also getting stronger by the day. It is also clear that the SACP is recognised by its partners as being at the centre of South African politics, together with COSATU and the ANC.
The resolutions of this conference have identified work for us to do.
The 10th Congress instructed us to consider how we deal with the issue of unpaid reproductive labour. While we still have considerable work to do on analysing how we identify and cost unpaid labour, particularly domestic and reproductive labour, the important thing is that we must vigorously challenge the idea that exploitation of women in this manner is inevitable and therefore acceptable. We must go out from here and begin the work of raising this important issue in society and mobilising to end this unacceptable status quo of women subsidising the reproduction of capital.
This conference has also importantly made a clear and unambiguous statement of our intentions as the Party in relation to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. While this terrible crisis affects all of us, the impact on women in particular has to be recognised and dealt with as a priority. This conference has directed us to focus on gender issues and the interests of women in a much clearer and energetic manner. We must all do this in our Party work, at all levels.
This conference has also made significant progress in terms of the Party’s views on rural transformation. Not only have we raised this issue to a level of priority in the Party, but also we have begun to map out a clear strategy for rural transformation that will be an integral part of building socialism. In the context of the ANC governments integrated approach to rural transformation and development, our tasks as Communists is made easier. We have the duty to ensure that we build organisations that assist in mobilising the poorest people of our society, the rural dwellers, particularly women in rural areas.
In relation to the transformation of the state it is clear that achieving the objective of building a national democratic state is a priority for us as a building block for socialism. We as Communists will have to focus on mobilising the people, especially in relation to local government, to strengthen the ANC and the governments program to transform the Apartheid State we have inherited. Clearly, we will have to do more work on such matters as partnerships between government on the one hand and the people and private interests on the other. Our reservations are not because we don’ t want to see progress, but we want to ensure that in the development path we choose we do not end up strengthening monopoly capital. Our developmental path must strengthen the working class and prioritise the interests of the poor, not as passive recipients of services, but as active participants in the development process.
The commission on socialisation has identified, as one of our priorities, the need to find a strategy to engage with monopoly capital. This is not because, as we have already said, we seek to strengthen this powerful interest. We need to engage monopoly capital precisely because we need to limit it, and direct it, to create the space for socialisation to take place. This does not mean we have given up on socialising monopoly capital itself. What we have to do is ensure that the liberation movement builds alternative capitals to tilt the balance of forces away from monopoly capital. Some of the conceptions we have of forms of capital, such as social capital, need to be problematised.
Similarly, the relationship between public and private capital, such as in the case of PPPs, is not without contradictions for the Party. But we cannot as the SACP bury our head in the sand in relation to these issues. If we are serious about our goal of socialisation, let us take up the challenge to define the correct relationship between the state and capital and ensure that we defend the interests of the people. The most important task we have as the SACP is to ensure that we achieve our goal of socialisation, and that it is built our organisational strength. In this respect the formation of industrial units needs our attention.
This conference has assisted the Party by giving direction on the important matter of the organisation and political development of youth by the Party. The criticism of leading structures of the Party in relation to the lack of progress on this matter by the delegates of this conference is accepted. This resolution will assist the leadership in tackling the important mission of recruiting and developing Communist youth. We have to recognise as a Communist Party with significant youthful membership that we cannot take the support or consciousness of the youth for granted. What will ensure the success of socialist project is a continuous influx into the Party of the most dedicated and hard working of South African youth. This will be the cadreship that leads and implements the socialist program in the future.
The important resolution on East Timor carries on the proud internationalist tradition of the SACP. As communists we can never meet and discuss our interests as the working class without acknowledging that, while we are South Africans, we are also citizens of the world. The overwhelming referendum victory for the progressive forces in East Timor must now be turned into a genuine independence for the Timorese people. We have passed a resolution supporting cde Xanana Gusmao’s call on the United Nations to send forces to the island to halt the deliberate destabilisation campaign waged by integrationist militias, and tacitly condoned by the Indonesian authorities. We have also expressed a hope that, should South Africa be called upon by the UN, our government will see fit to contribute to such a mission.
Comrades, these resolutions, the outcomes of this conference, must not be seen in isolation from the Party Program. They are a development and a refinement of that program. Now we must focus on implementing this program more energetically than ever before. One weakness of the Party is the tendency of some of its cadres to neglect the unglamorous but critical detailed, practical work of organising. This is not to suggest that comrades are disloyal to the Party. But if we do not repeatedly emphasis the fact that it is the duty of every Communist to organise, to build organisation, to connect with the masses, and to foster new Communist cadres, then we will never build this Party and implement the vision we have of a socialist society.
Each one of the resolutions we have taken at our conference is a building block for socialism. Each Party member must be a bricklayer. As comrades have pointed out, it is the job of a revolutionary to build the future. For us in South Africa, whether we are Communists or not, building South Africa means building a strong, working class led ANC. For us as Communists, building a strong working class led ANC is critical. It is part of the road to socialism, just as is building a strong, militant COSATU.
Communists present here today have had the resources of the Party invested in them. Many of the delegates of this conference were at the 9th and 10th Congresses. We are privileged to have amongst us comrades who are veterans of this Party. Their example, of working tirelessly for socialism, should inspire all of us. Let us leave here, renewed by the comradely spirit of this conference, to work with dedication, humility and unflagging loyalty for the success of our National Democratic Revolution and Socialism. We know comrades, as our theory guides us and our history teaches us, that only socialism can resolve the contradictions of our society. That is why we say, Socialism is the Future, Build it Now.