SACP Provincial Lekgotla Declaration, held at the University of the Western Cape

Introduction

The SACP Western Cape held its PEC Lekgotla on the 29-30 January 2010, discussed robustly, amongst others political, organizational and financial report and the programme of action for 2010. The PEC Lekgotla, had a full quorum, attended by the PEC, Districts, Central Committee members and Young Communist League.

On the organizational Development of the SACP in the Western Cape

The Provincial Executive Committee Lekgotla resolves that-

• The Party must enhance and entrench the culture of communist activism in the province, build a communist party that is capable of realizing the objectives of the MTV and position the SACP in the position as a the vanguard of the working class and the poor, intensify ideological work and build dynamic and functional branches and workplace forums.

• Organizational development will not occur in isolation from key issues that affect working class communities such as health, education and housing, which will form core element of the Party’s programmes in the Province.

• In forging working class unity a concerted effort will be made to build branches in coloured working class communities’ areas and to particularly recruit and address the concerns of working-class women.

• The SACP will undertake a dedicated political work in coloured working class communities to expose DA’s neoliberal agenda to use the vote to preserve their interest.

• As we advance our programme we will work closely with the African National Congress and Congress of South African Trade Unions in a reconfigured alliance to ensure an overwhelming victory for the alliance in the 2011 local government elections.

• The nature of the action will be defined more clearly at an Alliance Summit to be held before June this year.

• The party meets with Cosatu to attend to the role of the progressive unions in ensuring that workers are embracing the vision and objectives of the ANC and swell the ranks of the ANC.

On the resignation from the Provincial Legislature by Comrade Garth Strachan

• The departure of Garth Strachan from the provincial legislature as the representative of the ANC serves as the good riddance for the ANC led alliance.

• His history in the province is dogged by the purging of progressive comrades and destruction of any organization he has ever served in.

• He has a direct contribution in the demise of the ANC in the province.

• The frustration of the Democratic Alliance in his departure is borne out of the benefit the DA had out of the destructive conduct he displayed for so many years in the destruction of the ANC therefore they have good reason to be worried.

On the Western Cape Political Economy

The Provincial Executive Committee Lekgotla has noted that-

• Key amongst the deliberations was the socio-economic challenges facing the Western Cape and the fact that the DA is using the working class votes in order to preserve white minority property and wealth.

• The province remains racially segregated and patriarchal, with socio-economic disparities and inequalities continuing to block significant redistribution of wealth and transformation.

• The rising levels of unemployment, the decline in the matriculation results and the continued subjugation of our people to poor health conditions were highlighted as manifestations of these disparities.

The Provincial Executive Committee Lekgotla resolves that-

• The Party will undertake a detailed study of political economy of the Western Cape , with a view to expose the inequalities that remains as the remnants of apartheid capitalism which is entrenched in the DA lead Metro and the province.

On the electricity Hike

The Provincial Executive Committee Lekgotla has noted that-

• Public participation hearing process conducted by the Nersa with regard to the proposed tariff increase by Eskom.

• In the past similar public hearings were undertaken and submissions were made but there was no consideration on the submissions made by various stakeholders.

• It is not a secret that the working class and the poor is being made to pay for neoliberal policies that our government imposed to the working class and the poor since 1996.

The Provincial Executive Committee Lekgotla resolves that-

• There be a moratorium on these planned increases as the working class and the poor will be the most affected.

• We further call upon on government to review corporate tax, as this could be an instrument to raise more revenue to assist in this crisis.

• The SACP in the province rejects the proposed electricity hikes as it is out of proportion.

On the State and Governance

The Provincial Executive Committee Lekgotla has noted that-

• There is little that is done to expose DA’s inability to deliver services especially in the working class and the poor communities.

• ANC Alliance cadres especially in local government and provincial legislature are not rigorously raising issues of service delivery and challenging the Democratic Alliance.

The Provincial Executive Committee Lekgotla resolves that-

• The SACP will engage with the ANC PTT to consider how we strengthen governance where the ANC is in control of municipalities and serving as the opposition.

• We continue with our massive anti-corruption campaign in every sphere and urge SACP members who are public representatives to abide by the highest socialist morality.

• Continue developing the capacity of our cadreship.

On the Nursing Students strike at the Western Cape College of Nursing

The Provincial Executive Committee Lekgotla resolves that-

• The SACP continue to support the ongoing actions by nursing students at the Western Cape College of Nursing.

• The management of Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the Department of Health (DOH) take serious issues raised by the students and refrain from using Red Jackets security guards as their shield, instead of engaging meaningfully.

• We condemn that current students are used to fill the fulltime posts that are vacant in the public system.

On the Education

The Provincial Executive Committee Lekgotla has noted that-

• There is a decline from 78.6% to 75.75 of Grade 12 results in the province under the leadership of Democratic Alliance.

• The DA has chosen to host different ceremonies for learners from the working class background mainly Coloreds and African and learners from advantaged background, there was no pressure whatsoever for the DA to host different events, except that it is to its best interests to divide and rule the province.

• Most students from the working class and poor background still find it difficult to access higher education.

The Provincial Executive Committee Lekgotla resolves that-

• The DA must priorities service delivery in the working class communities, so that conditions conducive to learning and teaching can be created for learners.

• That the DA must stop promoting racism amongst the learners in the province through hosting different ceremonies for learners, who have written the same Grade.

• Institutions of higher learning must stop the upfront payment as this prevents students from the working class background to access education.

On the National Health Insurance

The Provincial Executive Committee Lekgotla has noted that-

• The basic aim of the NHI is that of ensuring that every South African, rich or poor, black or white, employed or unemployed, is covered by this scheme

• No South African must be made to pay upfront for health services, whether in public or private health care sector,

• Since NHI will cover mostly the working class and the poor, there is some resistance form the private sector.

The Provincial Executive Committee Lekgotla resolves that-

• We continue mobilizing our communities behind the NHI.

• Red October Campaign be taken to door to door through our Know Your Neighborhood Campaign

Contacts:
Khaya Magaxa, SACP Provincial Secretary: 083 721 0221
Karl Cloete, SACP Provincial Chairperson: 083 965 3358