SACP Eastern Cape PEC press statement
5 June 2011
Today, the 5th of June 2011, marks the end of a successful Augmented Provincial Executive Committee (APEC) which was extended to all the officials of our Districts Executive Committees (DECs) in 8 of our districts and all the officials of our Young Communist League. The APEC was convened just few weeks before we celebrate 90 years of communist involvement in the struggle for a free country and the building of a new South Africa whose true freedom cannot be realized until our country proceed to a socialist future.
As the SACP, we wish to convey our message of condolences to the Sisulu family and the broader movement after the passing of Mama Albertina Sisulu. We wish to salute this great leader, for her leadership example and sacrifice throughout her involvement in the struggle. The meeting was characterized by frank and comradely engagement from the International balance of forces appreciation broadly, the developments in North Africa, the Middle East, and Swaziland, the recent local government elections and strengths and weaknesses of our Party.
The APEC noted the struggles waged by the people in many parts of the world as in the main a reflection of the crisis of the capitalist system as it has plunged more than I billion of the world population in grinding poverty. The meeting asserted that this is the context the bully and criminal behavior of the NATO forces should be viewed, as part of efforts to save an economic system that is in crisis and therefore the oil reserves of Libya as critical to this imperialist plan for survival. The meeting condemned the killing of civilians by NATO forces and all those involved in the conflicts as criminal as those committed by George Bush in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In this context, a call was made to the International Court of Justice to desist from applying double standards to charge other alleged criminals and leave others free.
On the position of the African Union in the Libyan conflict, the meeting supported the AU�s approach for peaceful resolution of the Libyan conflict and respect of the sovereignty of all countries. However, the meeting considered South Africa�s vote in the Security Council for Resolution 1973 on �no fly� zone in Libya as a foreign policy blunder. It is against this background that the meeting viewed the complaint by South Africa of Africa being undermined by the NATO countries as more like �diving in the box� and crying foul.
The meeting called for all progressive forces to support the struggles for social and economic justice throughout the world. It also called for the South African government to put more pressure on the Swaziland regime to bring about a political climate for genuine dialog among the people of Swaziland about the future of their country. It is our considered view that the regime should not be saved from the current financial crisis facing that country until a commitment to secure the above conditions is made by the King Mswati regime.
On the recent local government elections, the APEC saluted our people who came out in their millions to once again place their confidence to the ANC led Alliance, and the meeting also noted the election victory as an important development. However, the APEC placed emphases on the need for all in the alliance to celebrate less the victory and focus on listening and processing the key massage from the people, that our people are impatient with the slow pace of change and growing inequality.
It is in this context that the APEC supports the calls for nationalization of the commanding heights of the economy as it is taking forward our calls for the re-nationalization of SASOL and Metal Steel. We firmly believe that in order to respond to genuine concerns raised by our people during these elections nationalization must be on the table as policy option in order to radically change the current semi-colonial growth path that is responsible for reproducing the inequalities in our country.
The SACP saluted all the comrades elected in various municipalities in the province as a sign of confidence to our cadres. However, the meeting further warned comrades to always remember their election as an opportunity to serve the people than to fall in the trap of worshiping money or other material resources at the expense of serving the people. The APEC condemned the attack of some two months ago on the ANC Provincial Office and its leaders, the alleged assassination list of ANC leaders, and also the court challenges by some people to subvert organizations processes. The meeting expressed firm view that the above activities together with a growing anti -communist element within the Communist Party constitute part of a low intensity counter revolution that is underway in our country.
On the Section 100 affecting the Provincial Department of Education, the APEC called for the reconsideration of this decision in its current form as it is destined to place our province in in deeper crisis. The intervention by the Minister of Basic Education as it stands is disempowering as it will not involve the province in taking key decisions. The risk of this approach may see the province losing in economic terms as the R6.2 Billion for instance, earmarked for eradicating mud schools in the province may not generate necessary economic spin offs for the province as many service providers to be engaged may come from outside the province, leading to capital outflow as a consequence. As a poor province we would like to see resources invested in the province to circulate in the province than being the beneficiaries of short term job opportunities.
The APEC further expressed its anger on the failure of the Provincial Cabinet to reverse its decision to terminate employment of temporary educators decided by the Alliance Summit as far back as September 2010. It is this failure that has led to the current situation where government has now been forced by courts to rehire the educators which is something that could have been avoided.
The APEC further expressed its confidence on leadership of current MEC for Education, Cde Mandla Makupula and the Superintendent General Advocate Modidima Mannya and calling for any intervention to be anchored around these leaders. We believe that with only 6 months having inherited a department already in crisis, they must be afforded an opportunity to lead. As the SACP, we commit ourselves to contribute in resolving all the challenges and pledged our continuous support to all the comrades who have been elected in the local government elections. As South African Communists, we commit to fight in defense of our revolution as in many of derailed revolutions communists have always been the first targets for mass killings.
Issued by the SACP Eastern Cape PEC
Contact:
Xolile Nqatha
Provincial Secretary
Eastern Cape Province
073 034 7923
