5th Ephraim Mogale District Congress Declaration
9 December 2013
We, the 200 delegates from branches of the South African Communist Party (SACP) in Ephraim Mogale district, COSATU, YCLSA and Mayor of Steve Tshwete, Hon. Mike Masina, gathered here in TUT Emalahleni campus from the 7-8 December 2013, under the theme Advance and deepen working class power and hegemony in all key sites of struggle. This strategic gathering received messages of support from our ally Cosatu and our reliable youth wing, the YCLSA.
The passing on of Tata Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
The congress joins millions of an array of revolutionary forces, the South African population and the entire global society in mourning the departure of the first founding President of a democratic South Africa, Comrade Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Tata Madiba stood for what many will fail to do in the revolutionary course. The values, principles and core beliefs he carried were above reproach and we hope all progressive forces will unite and continue to defend the liberation and congress movement at large, emulating his exemplary deeds.
16 Days of activism against women and children abuse
The congress takes place during the time of the popular campaign of 16 days of activism against women and children abuse. We are taken aback by the brutal killings of innocent children across the country. The struggle against subjugation of women should be advanced by all, males and females. We call upon law enforcements agencies to play their role. The campaign should be undertaken daily, and must not be confined to a particular period.
Concerned about inequality, poverty and unemployment
The congress is concerned with the high levels of the triple challenges which becomes the base for lumpen-proletariat-vagrants tendencies within communities. This is a clear reproduction of the chief enemy of the revolution: monopoly capital, which has found new ways of operating through capturing certain segments within our movement. Congress has made a clarion call for a lasting solution. This should be located within the progressive theme of the congress: Advance and deepen working class power and hegemony in all key sites of struggle.
INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
Swaziland
Women subjugation and culture are the critical elements used to advance the ruling class agenda in Swaziland by sustaining Africas remaining absolute Monarch. As the SACP in the district, we will continue to support the Communist Party of Swaziland and other revolutionary forces who are calling for the obliteration of the Mswatis Tinkundla regime.
Mozambique
The recent decision by RENAMO to withdraw from the peace deal signed in 1992 comes with no surprise, especially noting imperialist attempts to invade the SADC region. South Africa as a strategic player in this region should be warned of the agenda of imperialists to undermine and attack the region in the near future.
Against imperialism
The posture of the masters of imperialism (U.S led by Obama), with their interests in the Middle East and obsession with bombings across the globe, are portrayed as international police, using their outright attacks on other countries and dictatorship on how other states should behave. The SACP in the district condemns US imperialism, not only in the Middle-East, but the world over. It is this imperialism that is the main cause of the wars that are ravaging many parts of the world in the interest of deepening the exploitation of workers and resources. Congress calls on all peace loving people to stand up and organise against imperialism.
Congress called on all progressive forces to continue exposing the agents of imperialism who want to turn Republic of South Africa into a banana republic. Democracy and freedom are sacrosanct however there should be clear management of these aspects in order to allow the state to run smoothly.
The counter-revolutionary tendencies continue to manifest in different forms to an extent of using critical components of the alliance, trade unions in particular. The leadership coterie of NUMSA as led by Irvin Jim has proven on numerous occasions that it has been captured by the imperialist forces that are hell-bent in undermining our gains of democracy through unleashing an offense against the ANC-led Alliance.
We call upon the membership of NUMSA to respond to the observation of Mao on uniting the peoples camp, neutralizing the detractors and completely isolate the enemy. NUMSA remains a reliable trade union, however the leadership at the helm has assumed to be oppositionist to the alliance and ANC-led government.
THE ECONOMY
De-tenderize the state
The economy of our country remains in the hands of the minority. There is a need of radical transformation, hence we will continue to advance the Financial Sector and Credit Amnesty Campaigns. These campaigns will contribute economically in the lives of the workers and the poor for the better.
We reaffirm the SACP Central Committee position on the land and agrarian transformation campaigns. We further make a clarion call to our government to expedite the land redistribution. This should be in the context of realigning the large-scale farms into small-scale mass farms for radical food production and food security through sharing.
The congress affirms its support for COSATU in fighting against the unjust modern-day slavery (Labour brokers), e-tolls and sky-rocketing toll gates in Mpumalanga in the context of our campaign as the SACP, for a reliable, accessible, integrated and affordable public transport which we believe must be the central focus going forward. We shall work closely with COSATU in the province to liberate the masses from all these success-regressing aspects.
We will continue to fight against the tenderization of essential service in all government institutions in Mpumalanga. We believe this will lead to the all needed systematic demise of the lumpen-tenderprenuers who prey on tenders. Among others, the scholar-transport services should be awarded to the citizens of Mpumalanga rather than the Wi-Fi awarding of tenders to external companies.
Education and training
The congress welcomes the establishment of University of Mpumalanga. However, congress was concerned with the number of students intake for 2014. Children of the working class have hitherto suffered lack access to institutions of higher learning and hoped the establishment of the university in Mpumalanga, was going to bring fruit of the freedom charter in opening doors of learning and culture. The leadership will meet with the interim council to raise issues the congress noted and highlighted in this regard.
We commend the work the ministry of Higher Education and Training has undertaken so far in making education fashionable especially, in the FET Sector. The untransformed councils and CEOs of these colleges continue to exploit students structures and running them like NGOs. In advancing our congress theme, we shall contest the space in the appointment of councils within the FET sector in the province.
COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY TENDECNICES
Congress notes that the Office of the Public Protector has taken a posture of joining the bandwagon of being oppositionist to the ANC-led Government, especially the agenda by those who seek to vilify the character of the State President. The leak of the so-called Nkandla Report could not just happen without the office concerned being involved. The leaks and the earlier comments made about the report that is yet to be released by the Public Protector played into the attempts that threaten and undermine our revolution and the security of the President.
Attacks on the SACP
The congress notes with utter disgust perpetual attack on the SACP in Mpumalanga province. The unwarranted attacks by those who seek to entice their masters and leaders in the quest to secure the position of responsibilities come as no shock to us. We noted the energetic spin-doctoring by the Mayor of Emakhazeni, Hamzer Ngwenya in trying to promote anarchy and political lull that is in the leader of the alliance by trying to be a political messiah of the anti-communist tendencies in the province.
The congress reaffirmed its commitment to defend the leadership of the SACP in Mpumalanga led by the Provincial secretary Cde Bonakele Majuba. We know it has never been easy to be a communist even during the apartheid regime and 20 years into democracy; we are flabbergasted to see such hatred for communists in Mpumalanga Province.
We call upon all our members to fight hard and defend the revolution from those political predators who seek to kill the unity and cohesion of the alliance in the province due to their fear of comrades with capacity.
2014 ELECTIONS
Congress reaffirms its unwavering support to unashamedly campaign for the ANC in the upcoming election. We shall continue to mobilize the South African society to vote for the ANC in alliance with the SACP and COSATU as the only vehicle which has the necessary capacity to drive the radical socio-economic transformation agenda. This right-wing flag-waving and political obstructionist is used by the imperialist forces who seek to take-over South Africa by or on 2019, as they allege.
The South Africa society must reject the Apartheid apologist the DA and the other reactionary political parties including the newly extreme right-wing Childish party led by people whom were driven out of the Congress Movement masquerading with left-rhetoric sound bites.
Gross misinterpretation of young people
We agree with our youth wing the YCLSA that the term born-frees is a gross misrepresentation of young people who were born after 1994. We agree with the view that there is nobody who can be characterized as being free in a capitalist society. We are making a call to all the South African society to vote for the ANC next year: DO IT FOR MADIBA!
The 5th District Congress elected the following leadership collective.
District Secretary - Cde David Mokoena
District Chairperson - Cde Ambrose Mnisi
District Treasurer - Cde Evelyn Moswetsa
District Deputy Secretary - Cde Manuel Boshielo
District Deputy Chairperson - Cde Taylor Pookgoadi
Cdes Bheki Shabalala, Nelly Nkoane, Maria Magana, January Kabini, Vicky Masango, Seun Mahlangu, Tebogo Kekana, Orapeleng Dipone, Mpolokeng Mahlobogoane, Nomusa Keninda, John Mthombeni, Sabelo Masilela, Bongani Mayaba, Japie Masemola, and Frans Mahlangu
Issued by SACP Ephraim Mogale District
Enquiries:
Thabo Mokoena - District Secretary 073 750 2041.
Ambrose Mnisi - District Chairperson 072 706 5376.
