Nzimande in Red October campaign in KwaZulu Natal
17 October 2002
Today and tomorrow, the General Secretary of the South African Communist
Party (SACP), Blade Nzimande will lead the KwaZulu Natal leg of the 2002 Red
October Campaign.
Todays programme will include a public meeting with people living with disabilities and potential beneficiaries of social grants. This meeting will be held at 14h00 at the Archie Gumede Hall, Clermont township outside Pinetown, next to the Clermont taxi rank. Already, Nzimande has visited Ohlange High School in Inanda, Maqhawe High School in Umzinyathi and Sthokozile High School in Clermont where he wished learners well for the examinations and held a public forum focusing on the child welfare grant and their social security rights.
Tomorrow (Friday, 18 October), Nzimande will lead SACP Red Brigades in a leaflet blitz at the Berea train station in Durban from 06h00 to 08h00. This will be followed by a visit and monitoring of a Social Security Registration Centre in Pietermaritzburg (240 Burger Street, Pietermaritzburg Central).
The KwaZulu Natal leg of the Red October Campaign including an official meeting between the SACP KwaZulu Natal province and the Provincial Department of Home Affairs. The Department agreed that it will immediately address problems faced by the public in relation to obtaining birth certificates, affidavits, identity documents and other official documents required for registration for social security grants. The Department also re-committed itself to the principles of Batho Pele.
The SACP in KwaZulu Natal has also declared 19 October as the Red Saturday whereby SACP Red Brigades will conduct door-to-door visits in townships and informal settlements and leaflet blitzes in taxi/bus ranks and train stations. The purpose of these Red Saturday activities is to make communities aware of their social security rights. Many poor families are simply not aware of their social security rights. There are often huge problems for poor people when trying to apply for social security they do not have IDs, there are massive delays in Home Affairs offices, the process is cumbersome, officials are rude, the elderly queue for long hours at pension pay-out points. Medical certificates for disability grants are refused on an arbitrary basis. SACP Red Brigades will also assist those who need help with registration for social security grants and related problems. Working with our allies, communities, community based organisations, we will listen to problems, identify issues that must be changed and raise them with the relevant government departments.
The Red Saturday (19 October) activities will start at 09h00 and will take
place in the following areas:
1. Pietermaritzburg Central, Imbali, Edendale, Swayimane, Ashdown,
Impendle, Bulwer and Mooi River
2. Durban South and Central KwaMashu, Inanda, Ntuzuma, Newlands, Isipingo,
Cato Manor, Umlazi
3. Durban West KwaNgcolosi, Ndengezi, Pinetown
4. Okhahlamba Ladysmith, Erling Road
Amongst other things, the 2002 Red October Campaign launched on 07 October seeks to mobilise those who qualify for social security grants to register. The campaign will also highlight and campaign the need for a comprehensive social security system given the high food prices, unemployment and retrenchments.
CONTACT
Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Information, Media and Publicity
South African Communist Party
Tel 011 339 3621; Fax 011 339 4244; Cell 083 651 0271
Email mazibuko@sacp.org.za
