SACP Western Cape Fifth Provincial Council Declaration
9 December 2014
Taking responsibility for the revolution; Reclaim political power in the Western Cape
The SACP in the Western Cape gathered on the 6th December 2014, at Ntsebenziswano High in Phillipi. Branch delegates from the Brian Bunting, Che Guevara, Elizabeth Nana Abrahams, Overberg, and Southern Cape districts; delegates from the YCLSA; DEC delegates; PEC members were in attendance for the 5th Provincial Council, the final council of 2015. Comrade Jeremy Cronin, the 1st Deputy General Secretary of the SACP as well as the President of COSATU, Comrade Sidumo Dlamini delivered political and revolutionary input and guidance to the Provincial Council which focused on the SACP discussion document `Going to the Root` and the unity of the giant, revolutionary Federation respectively.
After engagements and discussions with the reports and inputs, the Provincial Council affirmed the following and decided as follows.
- Party Building, campaigns, programmes and events:
1.1. The 5th Provincial Council noted that the SACP is now the 2nd largest political party in South Africa, with over 209 000 members countrywide.
1.2. The 5th Provincial Council through branch and district representatives received an overview report of the state of the SACP in the Province. Upon the convening of the 5th Provincial Council, the council recognized that the Party has grown both in quantitative and qualitative terms. The Council recognized and appreciated the high-level of communist morality and discipline at all levels and structures.
1.3. 2014 has been characterized by an organizational and programmatic continuation of Red Momentum post-2014 National Government Elections. Our strengthened Districts and branches-widespread have truly shown revolutionary and communist commitment to building and strengthening the Party in the Province.
1.4. The Party will strengthen its advance in fostering working class unity and consciousness through our Party programmes, these include the flagship Financial Sector Campaign Coalition, Local Economic Development through the Know and Act in Your Neighbourhood Campaign, strengthening our work in trade unions through the Qina Msebenzi Campaign, and reclaiming our townships and villages as well as fighting crime, corruption and drug abuse.
- Second More Radical Phase of our Transition: Going to the Root
2.1. The SACP is a growing and united Vanguard Party of the Working Class. The vanguard character of the SACP has its rooted-foundation in its unity, morality and principles in our fight for equality. The Provincial Council noted the major redistributive advances twenty years since our democratic breakthrough, including but not limited to;
- Over 3,3 million free houses that have been built, benefiting more than 16 million people;
- more than 16 million (nearly one-third of all South Africans) are now benefiting from a range of social grants - up from 3 million in 1994;
- Over 9 million learners in 20,000 schools receive daily meals, as well as many more advances.
2.2. The Council observed that South Africa is liberated, but not fully liberated as the triple crisis challenge of unemployment, poverty, and racialized inequality continue to prevail in society. The SACP discussion document “Going to the Root”, the Provincial Council observed, seeks to give clear content and context to the 2nd, more radical phase of the National Democratic Revolution.
2.3. Post 1994, masses have somewhat been inadvertently demobilized, thus the persistence of the triple crisis may also be attributed to the absence of the crucial mass character of tackling and transforming socio-economic challenges facing our society.
The Provincial Council committed itself to mobilizing and advancing working class hegemony in all sites of power.
2.4. Directly linked to the programmatic efforts of SACP Western Cape campaigns, the Provincial Council committed to influence the changing of the South African macroeconomic policy to ensure that anti-investment tendencies by monopoly capital are eliminated from the South African economy.
The Provincial Council also committed itself to building a solidarity economy in the province, through amongst others, strengthening cooperatives and promoting the empowerment of the working class.
- On the Unity of the Federation
3.1. The Provincial Council reiterated its commitment to the process of re-building and defending the unity of COSATU. The council also acknowledged the importance of thoroughly comprehending the origins and history of the labour movement.
3.2. The Democratic South African government needs a strong COSATU to ensure that the state is not captured by other interests and in the process working class interests are not compromised. The giant, revolutionary Federation, COSATU, was founded and remains grounded on five principles including non-racialism; one industry one union; worker control and worker democracy; and subs derived from workers themselves.
3.3. These principles serve as the fundamental pillars of unity of the Federation as non-racialism is in essence about working class unity; one industry one union is a bulwark against union turf disputes and union-cannibalism; worker control and worker democracy ensures that the Federation is controlled by workers and that their collective decisions prevail above individual personalities. Subs derived from workers ensure that unions are not transformed into free-market unions controlled financially and politically by business unionists.
3.4. The SACP in the province committed to increase its efforts in defence of working class interests and hegemony, and to isolate the NUMSA leadership clique and the attempts of the other 7 unions to form a `united front` against the revolutionary Alliance and in essence to counter the advance of the NDR.
- The YCLSA
4.1. The Provincial Council welcomed the National Congress of the YCLSA to be held in the province on the 10th to the 14th December, 2014.
- ANC January 8th Statement
5.1. The Provincial Council committed itself to working with the Alliance partners to mobilize the masses for the 2015 January 8th Celebration to be held in Cape Town on the 10th January, 2015.
Issued by SACP Western Cape
Contact:
Masonwabe Sokoyi - SACP Western Cape Provincial Spokesperson
Cell: 0765243242
Office: 021 696 2522
Fax: 086 558 2481
Twitter: @SACPWC
Facebook: SACP Western Cape
Email: sacpwc.media@gmail.com
