Statement of the SACP in Kwazulu Natal Province
7 May 2007
The South African Communist Party in KwaZulu Natal has been holding its provincial legotla in the past few days. Among issues that were deliberated on were the recent meeting of the top five officials of the National Working Committee of the ANC and the PEC of the ANC in KwaZulu Natal, the so called succession battle within the ANC and the Alliance, roads and facilities name-changes by the Ethekwini Metro and transport problems within the Ethekwini Region.
The SACP in KZN welcomed the meeting between the top five office bearers of the NWC of the ANC and the PEC of the ANC in KwaZulu Natal. We understand critical issues were covered in that meeting including the issue of the now called succession battle, the state of the organization in the province and the allegations of the plot to introduce no-go areas for the President of the ANC. We have pub licitly welcomed this development as the SACP in KwaZulu Natal, however we have also expressed our dissatisfaction on the non-involvement of the other alliance partners when dealing with the alleged ill-treatment of some leaders of the movement in the Province. Media reports and the utterance of some people have continuously implicated the whole alliance on these allegations. It was for this reason that the whole alliance was involved in the task team that is currently dealing with the unpalatable disturbances that occurred during the reburial of our former General Secretary, the late Cde Moses Mabhida at Harry Gwala Stadium. The meeting held by the ANC in KwaZulu Natal has long been overdue and strongly believe that we would have not been where we are if there was a prompt response by the National Office of the ANC.
As the SACP in KZN we have reaffirmed our position as the SACP on the matter around Cde Jacob Zuma. Our position is clear and succinct in that we fully support the position taken by the ANC NGC on supporting its Deputy President Cde Jacob Zuma in these trying times. And we took this position without conditions. Furthermore as the SACP we have always supported the ANC in the province of KZN in handling this matter and they have so far showed unwavering leadership. We sympathise with the ANC in KZN when they are faced with a barrage of attacks and insults and hope they will continue to be firm and principled on this matter. Such attacks are viewed within the broader picture of the tensions within the alliance including what comrade Jacob Zuma is experiencing currently. We strongly hope and wish the National leadership of the ANC and the ANC provincial Leadership do find each other on this matter, otherwise the future in this province will be too ghastly to contemplate.
The PEC Legotla also added its voice on the debate around the name changes currently under public scrutiny at Ethekwini Municipality. The SACP in KwaZulu Natal voiced its principled support on the initiative by Ethekwini Metro but urge a broader consultation on this sensitive matter. The SACP further supported the naming of one street after Cde Andrew Zondo. As the SACP we noted that the armed struggle was aimed at overthrowing the apartheid system, not killing civilians, though on few occasions, understandably, there were civilian casualties. The SACP, as with our partners in the Tripartite Alliance, regrets the loss of life in the "Amanzimtoti bombing". Comrade Andrew Zondo was a member of MK and part of the armed struggle, and he undertook his activities at the height of the apartheid repression. Comrade Andrew Zondo, just 19 years old, sacrificed his life in the cause of the national liberation and is, to many, a hero. As part of the reconciliation process in this country, security and other representatives of the apartheid regime who killed political activists and others have not been prosecuted for their heinous crimes. We believe there is a need for those who benefited from apartheid to reciprocate the generosity shown by those who suffered under apartheid, especially those who lost members of their families in the struggle for liberation. It is in this spirit that we are also asking the eThekwini Municipality to educate the public about Comrade Zondo\'s life and the meaning of his activities as contribution to coming to terms with our past and advancing reconciliation and nation building.
The PEC Legotla also noted that the HIV/AIDS continues to infect and kill millions of South Africans, particularly the poor. There is, as yet, no cure for HIV/AIDS. The HIV virus continues to be passed on at an alarming rate and that prevention of infection remains the primary focus for combating the disease. Each individual can take personal responsibility not to be infected or infect others and that we are all either infected or affected. We have further noted that in order to combat the disease it is important for each of us to test and know our status and to fight the stigma. The drive by the Department of Health for testing and the "Each One Reach Five" campaign launched by the Sunday Times are welcomed. We realize that there is now a spirit of co-operation and unity in developing and implementing a multsect oral national strategic plan on SIT\'s and HIV (NSP 2007 - 2011) which covers prevention, treatment, care and support.
We are calling on all SACP members to play a leading role to combat the HIV epidemic by publicly promoting VCT and reach out of five others to do VCT, to support all those who are infected and affected, and to promote behaviour that fights stigma and allows HIV infected people to leave positively and without prejudice and to receive the support of their families and their communities.
The SACP in KZN is very much disturbed by the development taking place on transport that was privatized by Ethekwini Municipality. The unsafe conditions, infighting, unreliability and the exorbitant fees can no longer be tolerated. To crown it all the recent consultations on dropping subsidized fees or coupons for the scholars shows that the move to privatize this service is now running into serious problems. In fact it has not delivered the intended objectives. We are therefore calling on the Ethekwini Council to reverse its decision on this important public service and resume the running of this public transport. In addition we are also calling on the government to provide full transport subsidy to the municipalities more specially on scholars transport as a matter of urgency.
Lastly, the legotla has debated extensively the liberal route taken by our government on allowing Genetically Modified Food to be freely cultivated and sold in South Africa. We are calling the Government to ban the use of genetically modified food and let the people of South Africa enjoy the true nature of out life.
For more information please contact
Provincial Secretary, Themba Mthembu @ 083 303 6988
Provincial Chairperson, Willies Mchunu @ 082 904 5112
