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Declaration And Press Release Of The SACP Western Cape 5th Provincial Congress
The 5th Provincial Congress of the SACP in the Western Cape met in Cape Town over the weekend of 24th and 25th March 2007 under the theme Building working class power Our road to South African Socialism".
Presence of the SACP in the Western Cape:
Since its Congress in 2003 the SACP has consolidated its presence in the Western Cape Province and the Party has campaigned actively around a number of issues including:
- the transformation of the financial sector;
- agrarian and land reform;
- the campaign for affordable, safe, and reliable public transport; and
- the building of cooperatives;
A strong and dynamic Young Communist League (YCL) has also been built in our Province since 2005.
100% Amnesty for all those blacklisted by the Credit Bureaux:
The 5th Provincial Congress reaffirmed the SACP call for a 100% once-off amnesty for all those blacklisted by the Credit Bureaux. Such an amnesty would provide the 5.5 million South Africans currently blacklisted with some relief and a chance of escaping from the impossible situation in which they are entrapped.
The majority of the blacklisted are located within and amongst the working class and poor people who are blacklisted for paltry sums. Blacklisting simply drives the poor into the arms of loan sharks and into greater desperation.
Poverty alleviation:
The Western Cape is steeped in very serious inequalities which have resulted in deepening levels of poverty. Congress agreed that we must engage the ANC provincial government to ensure that socio economic transformation is accelerated to address mass unemployment, inequalities and poverty in our Province. Congress also resolved to work very closely with Cosatu in our campaign for affordable, safe, reliable and efficient public transport system. We will engage the Provincial Government and the City of Cape Town in respect of the establishment of a Metropolitan Public Transport Authority.
The DA and its attempts to use the working class to attain political power:
Congress dealt with the question of whether the DA is our principal class enemy and resolved that the exploitative capitalist system is our principle enemy and that the DA as a political formation is an extension of the capitalist class. Congress characterised the DA as a neo-liberal formation who realizes that it cannot ascend to political power unless it appeal to sections of the working class and the middle class. The DA has launched an attack on the same working class from whom it seeks to draw political support through its failure to provide land and decent housing to our people in Houtbay, threats of evictions for those who are unemployed and who are in arrears and threats to cut off the water supply of the poor. Our task as the SACP and ANC led Alliance is to expose the DA for its racism and for abusing the plight of the working class for its selfish interests. It is only through a focussed program of mass action on service delivery, housing, public transport, etc that we can dislodge the DA from control of the City of Cape Town.
Unity of the Coloured and African Working Class in the Western Cape:
The Provincial Congress discussed extensively a provincial discussion document looking at the National Democratic Revolution in the specific conditions in the Western Cape Province. In this regard the SACP regards the unity of the Coloured and African working class Province as the critical factor in defending and advancing democracy and development in our Province.
The problems of mass unemployment, poverty, housing, crime, violence against women and children, HIV/Aids and poor public transport affect working class people of all backgrounds.
Unity of the Revolutionary Alliance:
We noted with concern the deepening tensions in the ANC leadership in the Western Cape which has the potential to weaken the ANC in the province and sacrifice the gains we have made since assuming power in Provincial Government. The 5th Provincial Congress committed itself to fostering the unity in action of our ANC led Alliance in the Western Cape. To this end the Congress appreciated the plan to convene a Provincial Alliance Summit at the end of March 2007 to consider how we give expression to the National Democratic Revolution and its objectives as portrayed in the Freedom Charter.
International situation:
Our Congress agreed to facilitate political discussion forums in the Western Cape Province to draw lessons from the leftward shift in Latin America with specific reference to the coming into to power of leftwing governments in Bolivia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and the recent study tour of the ANC, SACP & COSATU General Secretaries to Bolivia. Our Party further condemns in the strongest terms the repression in Zimbabwe and expressed our solidarity with the poor and the working class in Zimbabwe. We think that it is not enough to just condemn the violence and intimidation imposed by the SANU-PF regime but we should demonstrate our solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe in action. We therefore support the national strike called by Zimbabweans on 3 4 April 2007.Congress resolved that we must study developments in Zimbabwe in an endeavour to analyse our own situation in South Africa which in certain circumstances has seen the development and maturing of the governmentalisation" of our revolution where access to state power has become a means to accrue wealth for a few through corrupt means.
Finalisation of outstanding Provincial Congress matters:
The 5th Provincial Congress was unable to conclude its business and agreed to defer the following outstanding matters to a SACP Provincial Council to be convened in the next few weeks;
- The SACP Central Committee report on the SACP contesting State Power;
- Discussion documents of the SACP 12th National Congress to be held in July 2007;
- State & Economic Transformation
- Gender & Social Transformation
- International program
- 2007 Provincial Program of Action
- Financial report
Newly elected leadership:
Congress elected into office the following Provincial Office Bearers who would be leading the SACP in the Western Cape together with the newly elected PEC over the next 3 years;
Provincial Secretary - Khaya Magaxa
Provincial Chairperson - Gwebs Qonde
Provincial Deputy Chairperson - Karl Cloete
Provincial Deputy Secretary - Jazze Mokoena
Provincial Treasurer - Shahida Meniers
Provincial Executive Committee members:
- Mark Sweet
- Zoe Mafilika
- Moshoeshoe Mvalo
- Lumka Maliviwe
- Derrick Elbrecht
- Fred Gona
- Nokhwezi Msutwana
- Thando Wababa
- Thandile Mabumbulu
- Wenzile Nel
- Jan Kotze
- Ntsiki Nyakatya
- Sydney Twani
- Christine Olivier
- Nicholas Maziya
The road to South African Socialism:
The SACP in the Western Cape solemnly pledges to work tirelessly to build momentum towards capacity and elements of Socialism here now and in the present. We the delegates of the 5th SACP Provincial Congress pledge to build working class hegemony in all sites of power in the state, the community, the economy, the workplace and on the terrain of the contest of ideas and values in our society. The 5th Provincial Congress confirmed that the building working class power is our road to South African Socialism.
For further information please call the SACP Provincial Secretary - Khaya Magaxa on 0837210221 or Deputy Provincial Secretary - Jazze Mokoena on 0834984280 or Deputy Provincial Chairperson - Karl Cloete on 0769712505
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