Dr. Blade Nzimande, General Secretary South African Communist Party
Dear Comrade Nzimande,
On the occasion of the SACP`s 90th anniversary please accept heartfelt greetings of millions of members and supporters of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
The SACP has a glorious history of struggle for the rights of the oppressed people, against the regime of racism and racist discrimination. We know that communists were fighting Apartheid at the most dangerous fronts of underground and armed struggle. Hundreds of SACP members sacrificed their lives for the noble cause of national liberation. All this earned the Communist Party the support and genuine love of the people despite decades of the most vicious Anti-Communist propaganda.
We highly appreciate the fact that the tripartite alliance of the ANC-SACP-COSATU always encouraged by South African Communists became a formidable force that rallied the broad masses to victorious struggle for elimination of Apartheid.
It also makes us proud that the SACP now plays a very important role in the efforts of the ANC-led government of South Africa to transform the country, to overcome the social and economic consequences of Apartheid.
We in Russia have a great respect for the major contribution of our SACP brothers to the international Communist Movement. The names of Comrades Moses Mabida, JB Marx, Moses Kotane, Yusuf Dadoo, Bram Fisher, Chris Hani, Joe Slovo are known and respected in Russia and all over the world.
The decades-long links between the Communist Parties of our counties helped to forge the friendship of the Russian and South African people.
On this glorious occasion we wish all SACP leaders and members new great achievements in their drive towards Socialism.
Long live solidarity between the working people and the Communist Parties all over the world!
Gennady Zyuganov
Chairman of the Central Committee,
Communist Party of the Russian Federation