SACP Eastern Cape Provincial Executive Committee Statement

18 May 2008

1. INTRODUCTION

The Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) of the South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Eastern Cape (EC) met on Sunday, the 18th of May 2008 at the Party Offices in Bhisho, in order to finalize preparations for the 5th Provincial Congress set for the dates 23 – 25 May 2008 to be held in Jeffery’s Bay, in the K.K. Papiyane District (Cacadu). As to be expected, and was the case here, integral to the meeting deliberations was the political stock-taking of the situation in the Province. In the headings that follow, is the bold public statement outlining the Resolution of the SACP PEC on the State of Governance in the Province:

2. OVERVIEW/ POLITICAL ASSESSMENT

In the deliberations, the Party noted with concern the performance of the Provincial Government in the EC which was seen as characteristically in:

2.1. The naked and un-abating prevalence of political instability in the governance of this Province to which the Premier’s Cabinet (EXCO/ MECs) is often a common denominator.

• In the Western Areas ( Mandela Metro in particular), Party leaders continue to be systematically cleansed or purged by a factionalist Maphazi Metro Municipality, the analysis of the ramifications of this, is a voluminous work of its own. The Party receives with utter dismay, the +/-R3.5million spent hitherto in the case for the dismissal of Cde David “Sticks” Toise, and such related wasteful expenditures from the taxpayers money.
• In the Central Areas of the Province, the Nkonkobe, Mnquma and Mbhashe municipalities’ sagas, have been allowed to reign anarchically.
• In the Eastern Part of the Province, instability is perpetuated through glaring infrastructural backlogs, abject poverty, and similarly also here, through factionalist interventions in the local states/ municipalities, plunging these sore areas into further and further quagmires if only to achieve the shallow and narrow agendas of some in the EXCO.
• The SACP is of the solid view that such a state of affairs in this Province neither helps the ANC, any of its Alliance partners nor the ordinary masses of our impoverished people, has to be countered now!

2.2. The situation of near-collapse with respect to Service-Delivery, which consistently leaves this Government in the Provincial and National headlines for all the wrong reasons, this, be it in the case of unnecessary litigations leading to court judgments e.g. potholes (Premier Pays for Potholes), the various Survey Findings e.g. (Life in the EC is given a Major Thumbs-Down) on house-hold services, basic incomes and so forth. The recent SAIRR study comparing all the nine Provinces in the RSA, came with startling corroboration of our political observation consistently drawn in our previous sessions, across the relevant development indicators in sectors like Health, Education, etc.

2.3. These, and a whole host of others, for a variety of reasons fair and/or foul, are notable issues that objectively point to an untenable situation and simultaneously waking up anyone who is in a deep sleep of denial.

2.4. Taking a view from a policy perspective, such a state of affairs is substantively and manifestly evident in the on-going disorientation defiant of the very ANC (and Alliance) policy positions including among others, on the ASGiSA model and processes that are running aloof from the communities, the continued implementation of the infamous Service Transformation Plan (STP) in Health not to mention the general chaos in this same (health) field. The people, central to whom are, the workers and the poor, deserve every inch of accountability from this Government as they are the principals who vote the ANC and whose aspirations are to be met.

2.5. There exists a lack of a thorough-going economic emancipation vision, integrating the implementation of the co-operatives as an alternative form of social capital/ ownership in the Balindlela regime’s agenda. Other issues include the unacceptably long turn-around time for the payment of emerging service providers, which run into months and in some cases even a year or two, it follows to obvious reason that as a direct consequence this gross malpractice, in most cases lead to their (service providers’) cash flow problems and ultimate destruction. The lack of dedicated rural development model, again points to a system gone astray.

2.6. Dismal financial performance across the spectrum with less than a handful of provincial departments ever getting clean audit reports, is the order of the day. Adding salt to injury is the particularly bad record of under-expenditure with such cases as the widely reported R1.4 billion in housing while the workers and the poor direly needed shelter. Where excitement for expenditure is to be met, more often uneconomical wastage is to be found as a motivation, the typical example is to be found in the expiring Fleet Africa transport provision contract, which despite huge public funds allocation (estimated to be about R0.25 billion per annum, continues to be carried on without the slightest revert to the Alliance for a directive on the policy options and, if necessary, mandate.)

2.7. The Party noted with utter dismay the manifestation of pre-Polokwane style narrow factionalist and also personal interests carried out by Balindlela and some of her MECs in their approach to their official duties. This abuse of state resources cannot be tolerated and shall be done away with!

2.8. There exists a general lack of a coherent political centre-holding in the Government, with crisis management and denial as the modus operandi. Any Provincial Government in the Eastern Cape may expect to deliver on its mandate if and only if the very task of a Premier inviting MECs to serve in the Cabinet is based on solid capacity especially in the areas of Health and Education in the main. In this case the Party is seriously concerned about a number of misplaced comrades (MECs) who could have far greater performance in other portfolios. This, the Party views as a serious leadership challenge whose time to confront cannot be delayed by one more day.

2.9. With the general political crisis in the EC, the Administrative machinery suffers the consequent replication, some examples about which the SACP is seriously concerned are hinted below:

• Quite a number of senior departmental officials currently serve suspensions and/ or are in some stages of typical factionalist disciplinary actions witch-hunts (ukuleqwa) for which there exists such glaring violation of their rights that it makes mockery of this ANC Alliance Government. The Party congratulates those who survive such malicious acts, like the recently inaugurated Fort Hare University Vice Chancellor Dr. Tom! The depth of human resource malpractices in this Province constitutes a thesis of its own;
• The dismal performance on the management capacity front leaves much to be desired. An example to give is that up to seven Departments’ Strategic Plans / Annual Performance Plans/ Operational Plans had to be resubmitted to the Provincial Legislature for the current financial year. Alongside this can be cited some few/ more examples of management related issues, as follows:

a.) While as the SACP we condemn xenophobia as utterly barbaric, however we observe with dismay that some key departments like the Provincial Treasury and Economic Development continue to be led by foreign nationals, which fact severely compromises the opportunity to ground their approaches to local conditions;
b.) Some other Heads of Department/ Superintendents General masquerade as untouchables i.e. beyond effective reproach;
c.) With the Eastern Cape having the unacceptably low disclosure ratings, it does not come as a surprise to us that some senior managers/ heads double up as multiple contractors on the other hand.

2.10. We are concerned that a much closer examination of the system would reveal more dirt in the departmental administrations.

2.11. The issues visited above, attest to a situation fast degenerating to a circus whose toll must be footed from the public purse, and accordingly vindicate our observation therefore that this Provincial Government needs a serious intervention/ shake up. This we are convinced, unlike the empty noises by Holomisa and other political toddlers, that it is in the best interests of the ANC Alliance and the poor to act to save the situation.

3. THE SACP CALL:

Like it happened before in this Province, when the Late Stalwart ex-Premier Raymond Mhlaba’s government had some challenges, he was asked to step aside which call he gracefully honoured. The Party holds the view that this situation cannot be said to be of a lesser magnitude than the one prevalent at that time, if anything it is far deeper and complex. Credible leaders have always heeded our advice/s, hence now our adamant call for the following:

1. A voluntary stepping down of the Premier Cde Nosimo Balindlela and Metro Executive Mayor Cde Nondumiso Maphazi, with options kept open on possible redeployments if their co-operation is received in this regard. This is a matter that cannot be dragged but must be effected immediately. If voluntary stepping down cannot be the route then an alternative scenario be taken, that of a recall by the ANC & Alliance with no direct option of a redeployment. The SACP is of the view that while they have tried under the given set of circumstances, however, fresh ideas (leadership persons) would be the most correct and useful aspect of an overall journey from here;
2. The SACP is calling on the Provincial Alliance to, at the appropriate time, reconstitute a Provincial Government, and the Metro from its current pool of deployed cadres in the Legislature and the Metro Council as well. Further to this would be that for the remainder of the Term (’09 General Elections and 2011 Municipal Elections respectively), the dispensation be supported by the People from Grassroots/ in Communities, the Civil Society, NGOs, etc - all under the able leadership of the ANC led Alliance. A positive attitude and popularly driven processes leading to the Election mood and subsequent ANC victory would be ideal;
3. In line with our long-held assertion that the people are their own liberators, that such cascading momentum be unfolded in the [Metro(West)], Central areas like Nkonkobe and the Eastern parts of the Province; and
4. All Communist cadres deployed in strategic positions like the Provincial Legislature, Metro, District Councillors and right across the full spectrum of the public sector, not only to live this mandate, but also to remain ready for any further calls to act to advance this intervention, however, own initiatives according to the immediate situations in those terrains would assist pending any further calls to be made centrally. Greatest sacrifice is the virtue for which the communists tower with pride in history.

It is at trying times like these that we call: COMMUNISTS TO THE FRONT!!!

4. CONCLUSION

This Assessment and Call is also in recognition of the frustrations experienced by many of our ordinary people, especially the poorest of the poor, and finding expression in the various forms of protest actions undertaken by different sectors of civil society in this Province.

Furthermore, this contextual Analysis and its concomitant Call were understood to be very serious, however the general feeling and spirit was in overwhelming support of the Resolution by all attending the PEC including the Districts. Further elaboration and tightening will now rest with the Provincial Congress due in the coming weekend at Jeffery’s Bay.

Issued on behalf of the SACP (EC) by:
Provincial Secretariat
M. Makupula 082 419 3336 / 082 419 0142