Volume 2 - Issue 1 - January 2002

Contents

• Progress made in 2001
• Meeting Basic Needs
• The public sector
• An Industrial Strategy
• A communist cadre IS KEY
• The Main Pillars of Our 2002 POA
• The Financial Sector
• Building a Strong, Democratic and Accountable Public Sector
• Meeting Basic Needs Through Local Economic Development
• The 11th Congress
• Our basic organisational tools and tasks
• The SACP Year Planner

Progress made in 2001

In adopting the SACP?s 2001 Annual Report, the Central Committee (CC) analysed developments in 2001 and their impact on the National Democratic Revolution (NDR).

The CC appreciated progress made in meeting basic needs through the gradual and increasing provision of basic amounts of free water and electricity and commitments made in the 2001 State of the Nation Address and the Budget Speech The CC noted that the SACP continues to grow through the consolidation of its programme, its popularity and increasing political visibility.

Despite this progress, there are problems which persist. The CC reaffirmed that economic transformation and the building of people?s power are KEY in advancing the NDR. And thus the focus of the SACP on the building of a people?s economy through a strong and accountable public sector, the transformation and diversification of the financial sector and the need for a state-led industrial strategy. On this basis, the CC concluded that the year 2002 must be used to take forward all these struggles and issues. This explains the main theme for the 2002 Programme of Action.

Meeting Basic Needs

Our struggles today and the struggle for socialism are about practical delivery, meeting the basic needs of our people and building a better life for all. For example, providing water in rural areas will meet the basic needs of women and will contribute to the struggle for gender equality.

And thus the need for the SACP to have a programme and focus on meeting basic needs.

The public sector

But meeting basic needs requires a strong, democratic and accountable public sector which drives the economy, meets basic needs, creates jobs and develops infrastructure. The democratic government must retain control and ownership of parastatals and other public functions like education and health.

Privately-owned, profit-maximising corporations will not invest major resources in education, housing, health, water, public transport, electricity, telecommunications, etc. for development but for profit.

Therefore the public sector remains a critical pillar of our programme.

An Industrial Strategy

The public sector we argue for must drive a state-led industrial strategic policy. This means that the restructuring of Telkom, Eskom, Transnet, etc, must be guided by a state-led growth and development vision. For example, in restructuring Transnet we need to have a growth and development strategy for the entire transport industry so that Transnet plays a leading role in, for example, the provision of efficient public transport.

A state-led industrial strategy will mobilise public, private and social capital as the key engine for our economic growth and development. This may involve partnerships whilst ensuring the retention of public accountability, control and ownership.

A communist cadre IS KEY

Our ability to implement the SACP programme requires a high calibre and quality of a communist cadre, communist activism and systematic cadreship development. And thus the sub-theme "2002: The Year of the Communist Cadre and Communist Activism".

This means that the year 2002 must be used and dedicated to the building of a communist cadre and communist activism in a systematic way.

The Main Pillars of our 2002 POA

Our 2002 POA has 4 main pillars : -

• The Transformation and Diversification of the Financial Sector

• The Building of a Strong, Democratic and Accountable Public Sector in the context of a state-led Industrial Strategy

• Meeting Basic Needs through Local Economic Development

• The 11th SACP National Congress

These pillars are linked to basic tools and tasks we have as an organisation: -

• Party Building and Cadreship Development (including the work of the Youth Desk)

• Women and Gender work in the SACP

• Finance and Fundraising

• Media, Information and Publicity work

We also have ongoing general political work in society: -

• Building Organs of Popular Power

• Building the Alliance

• Addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic

• Establishment of a Chris Hani Institute

• Ongoing International work

The Financial Sector

This pillar of the POA has 4 key components: -

• The Summit of the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) due in the first half of 2002.

• Internal SACP education and literacy

• Building co-operative banks & credit unions

• Mass mobilisation

The NEDLAC Summit

The key aim of the NEDLAC Summit must be the achievement of an overall policy and legislative framework for the transformation and diversification of the financial sector. Our main demands are: -

• Legislation on co-operative banks owned and controlled by communities

• Legislation on Community reinvestment and Prescribed assets ? targeting banks and massive investment funds (pension funds, unit trusts, the mutuals, etc.) to invest in social development

• More effective regulation and transformation of the Credit Bureaux

• More effective regulation and transformation of micro-lenders including a cap on interest rates charged by micro-lenders;

• Ensuring that Public financial institutions consolidate their role in the development of SMMEs, infrastructure, agriculture, and in the provision of welfare grants, life-line banking, and other basic financial services.

Other demandsMass mobilisation

We need mass mobilisation before and after the NEDLAC Summit. We must build mass consciousness and literacy on the financial sector and the general economy. We must do practical work on individual and community cases of discrimination by banks, denial of loans and credit for development, etc.

Specifically, the SACP will organise a Week of Action for Socio-economic Rights through pickets, protests and public meetings during March which the ANC has declared as a focus month for human rights. This Week of Action will be based on the understanding that capitalism violates human rights. This mass mobilisation must also be used to shape the NEDLAC Summit and take forward its outcomes.

Building a Strong, Democratic and Accountable Public Sector

We need Alliance discussion and agreement on the building of a strong, democratic and accountable Public Sector. This must include a case-by-case analysis and overview of restructuring which has taken place so far.

Mass mobilisation remains part of taking forward the struggle for the building of a strong, democratic and accountable public sector.

As the SACP, we must also engage with the Public Service Jobs Summit Agreement and its implementation. At a local level, we must advance social delivery through taking forward the Batho Pele campaign, the fight against corruption, and in helping communities to access poverty eradication and job creation funds provided by the state. All of this requires SACP political and practical contributions in building a public service cadre and in enhancing the role of public sector unions.Elaborating an Industrial Strategy

Nationally, we need to take forward SACP perspectives through research, proposals, alternatives and engagements towards a common alliance programme on an industrial strategy. This will include some work towards sectoral industrial summits.

Branches, districts and provinces also need to lead local economic development from the SACP industrial strategy perspective.

Meeting Basic Needs Through Local Economic Development

The 4 key components of this third pillar of our programme are: -

• Building of co-operatives

• Engaging Local Government on the Meeting of Basic Needs

• Taking forward the provision of basic amounts of free water and electricity

• Struggling against redlining and for access to credit for socio-economic development at a local level

Co-operatives are democratic and voluntary associations of communities based on addressing common interests and needs. For example, co-operatives can be built in the areas of HIV/AIDS home-based care, food security (food gardens), agriculture, farming, literacy, savings clubs, credit unions and construction. In this way, the SACP can help to bring extra plates of food to the tables of poor families.

Local Government is strategic because it is in a position to award tenders, allocate funds to co-operatives and can use its financial power to engage local banks and financial institutions for investment in local economic development. The power of government as a depositor must be mobilised to either reward or punish banks based on whether they reinvest back in communities and social development.

Communities and councils must work together to take forward the provision of basic amounts of free water and electricity. Redlining and lack of access to credit undermine the meeting of basic needs and local economic development. SACP structures must undertake practical campaigns on local practices by banks.

In doing the above, we also have a role in ensuring that ward committees function and that they also undertake the above work.

The 11th Congress

The SACP?s 11th National Congress of the will be held in Johannesburg from 24 to 28 July with more than 1100 delegates from branches, districts, provinces, the CC, alliance partners, MDM formations and international allies. In the run-up to the Congress, Congress documents and a Draft Political Programme will be circulated for discussion. It will have these chapters: -

• A Socialist Approach to the Consolidation and Deepening of the NDR

• The South African Revolution in its International Context

• Building a People?s Economy

• Transforming the State

• The Strategy and Tactics of the SACP in the NDR

The discussion documents will be based on these chapters of the Draft Political Programme. The final chapter will elaborate the strategy and tactics of the SACP. Other discussion documents will include documents on party building, gender equality, and youth and socialism.

Parallel to the discussion process will be an audit of the state of all branches and districts. The 11th Congress will also confer the JB Marks and Florence Matomela Awards for the best District and Branch of the SACP respectively.

The Political and Organisational Reports of the Central Committee, and the Financial Report will also be tabled at the Congress. The Congress will also consider and adopt amendments to the SACP Constitution following submissions from branches, districts and provinces. These submissions will be processed by a Constitutional Review Commission established by the CC.

The 11th Congress is also an opportunity to build and empower SACP cadres into high quality communist activists. All of the above tasks will demand energy and commitment from all SACP members.

Our basic organisational tools and tasks

Party BuildingThe holding of the Moses Kotane Party Building Strategy Meeting (during February 2002) will help in the consolidation of a shared and common party building strategy based on the implementation of this POA. Specific party building tasks include: -

• Capacity building for branches, districts and provinces through the implementation of this POA and cadreship development

• A programme to reach a recruitment target of 10 000 new members this year

• The building of at least 1 industrial unit per district ? i.e. launching 55 industrial units by the 11th Congress

• The finalisation of the Party Building Manual for adoption by the 11th Congress

Our cadreship development work will include education on the financial sector, co-ops, 11th Congress documents, Draft Political Programme and the Party Building Manual. This will be based on joint work with unions and the youth and student movements. A Jack Simons National Political School is proposed for November. Each province and district must run at least 1 political school this year combined with ongoing political education in branches.

The Youth Desk will focus on developing a Youth and Socialism paper for the 11th Congress, ensuring that there are effective and functional National and Provincial Youth Desks and the rebuilding of the student movement.Women and Gender in the SACP

The SACP, with the support of the Swedish Left Party, has launched a Dora Tamana Project. This project will include: -

• Gender education and training in the SACP

• Empowerment of women SACP cadres

• An SACP programme on gender equality

• Integrating gender perspectives in all aspects of SACP work

• Taking forward the discussion on the role and location of gender in the SACP 

This work started with the Dora Tamana National Gender Workshop held in December 2001. This workshop developed a gender annexure to the 2002 POA which identifies in simple and practical terms the gender aspects and tasks from the 2002 POA.The Debit Order Campaign and a Special Levy

Currently we have more than 7000 comrades who have signed SACP Debit Orders. It is important that the Debit Order Campaign is intensified by all structures. A programme and targets for the intensification of the Campaign will be discussed and adopted at the next CC meeting.

The next CC meeting will also discuss an Annual Special Levy to be effected during the Red October month. This would be a once-off levy for all members of the SACP who work and encouraging those who are not working to raise funds as their contribution.Building the Alliance

This ongoing and important work will include the Alliance Summit, bilaterals with the ANC and COSATU, Alliance 10-a-side meetings and joint programmes.

The SACP supports the ANC POA for 2002: "Year of the Volunteer for Reconstruction and Development". The ANC POA has monthly themes for ANC branches to mobilise communities and volunteers. SACP structures must focus on these themes: -

• Education for January ? observing the registration process, meeting relevant stakeholders around problems of learning and teaching, cleaning of school yards, painting, safety and security in the schools and the building of School Governing Bodies

• Human Rights for March ? focusing on the financial sector campaign, socio-economic rights and the message that capitalism violates human rights, etc.

• Health for April ? visits to public hospitals and clinics to identify and work on problems, meeting workers through health worker forums, acting against HIV/AIDS discrimination in the financial sector, etc.

• Youth for June ? seminars on Youth and Socialism, leaflet for June 16, etc.

• Rural development and food for September and social security for November ? highlighting the building of co-operatives, meeting of basic needs, mobilisation of farm-workers, rural development, etc.

The SACP must also work with COSATU, SANCO and MDM structures to implement the above programme and their own programmes.Building Organs of Popular Power

SACP structures must be involved and central in the building of Ward Committees, Community Policing Forums, School Governing Bodies, Community Based Organisations, NGOs and other organs of people?s power.International Work

Our international work in 2002 will focus on: -

• Swaziland and Western Sahara ? building a solidarity movement

• Networking with progressive forces in Africa

• Cuba ? building FOCUS as a national organisation existing in all provinces

• Palestine - increasing our solidarity work with Palestine

• Taking forward our International Left Platform

• Joint work with allied communist and workers? parties such as the Chinese, Cuban and French parties

The SACP Year Planner

This programme will not be worth the paper it is written on if it is not implemented. All the objectives set out in
this programme will be meaningless without its implementation. The Year Planner sequences events and
meetings to ensure an even and smooth operation of structures in implementing the programme and
ensuring a continuous flow of information in all directions in the SACP.

Whilst it will not be possible to follow the Year Planner date by date, it is important that deviations from the
Year Planner are justifiable and will not undermine the flow and implementation of the POA. For example, the
first District Councils are scheduled to be held in January in order to achieve discuss the 2002 POAs adapted
to local conditions and to conduct political discussions in order to prepare for PEC meetings to be held the
next weekend which would then prepare for the CC meeting in turn which will be immediately followed by
Provincial Councils and thus completing the first cycle of information flow.

Therefore the first District and Provincial Councils must establish targets, timeframes and implementation
and reporting mechanisms.

Subsequent District and Provincial Councils and other meetings must evaluate progress and plan for the next
stage of the 2002 programme.

The SACP Programme of Action for 2002

People and Government Together: Build People?s Power for a People?s Economy to Meet Basic Needs

4 Main Pillars of the SACP 2002 POA The Financial Sector The Public Sector and Industrial Strategy Meeting Basic Needs The 11th SACP National Congress

Pillar 1 - The Financial Sector The NEDLAC Summit Research and Education Mass Mobilisation
The NEDLAC Summit	Research and Education	Mass Mobilisation
We want to: - Consolidate our demands Build the Campaign Forum as a negotiating partner at NEDLAC Build an alliance with the labour chamber at NEDLAC Dialogue with government and business negotiators at NEDLAC Win a package of progressive reforms and demands	We want to: - Inform negotiations, demands and outcome of the NEDLAC Summit Train SACP cadres in basic Marxist political economy Develop alternatives and a long term perspective for a socialised financial sector Inform and engage public debate on the financial sector	We want to: - Ensure popular input to the NEDLAC negotiations process Use mass mobilisation to shape the NEDLAC Summit and its outcomes Highlight socio-economic rights Mobilise the people to build co-operatives, credit unions, etc. Build mass consciousness and literacy on the financial sector and economy in general
Branches and Districts must: - Receive and discuss reports on NEDLAC negotiations and the demands Mobilise churches, communities of faith, communities, stokvels, savings clubs, co-ops, small businesses, informal traders, etc. into a district level Campaign Forum Mobilise the same sectors for mass action during the Week of Action Hold public meetings on the NEDLAC Summit	Branches and Districts must: - Obtain, circulate and discuss research and publications Give feedback and make input on the research and publications Initiate local research which is based on local developmental needs Conduct education and practical work on building of co-operative banks and credit unions	Branches and Districts must: - Mobilise for the Week of Action Organise local action on discrimination by banks, against redlining, etc. Organise People?s and Workers? Assemblies on co-operative banks and HIV/AIDS discrimination in the financial sector during Red October 2002 Ask unions, provincial legislatures or local government to host these Assemblies

Pillar 2 - The Public Sector and Industrial Strategy National and Provincial Tasks Tasks for Districts and Branches
National and Provincial Processes	Tasks for Districts and Branches
Alliance discussion and agreement on the building of a strong, democratic and accountable Public Sector and an Industrial Strategy perspective Case-by-case analysis and overview of current restructuring of state assets Sustenance of mass mobilisation as part of taking forward the struggle for the building of a strong, democratic and accountable public sector SACP engagement with the Public Service Jobs Summit Agreement and its implementation Engagements and joint work with public sector unions Red Papers on the public sector and industrial strategy SACP participation in sectoral industrial summits	Branches and Districts must: - Mobilise SACP, ANC, SANCO, etc. for local action and programmes against corruption and on the Batho Pele campaign Access information and structures on public funds available for development, poverty eradication and job creation at local, provincial and national levels of government Conduct education and training for communities, etc. on how to access, utilise and account for these public funds at local, provincial and national levels Build co-operatives and other community based organisations in order to access, utilise and account for public funds Engagements and joint work with public sector unions Holding SACP industrial strategy and economic transformation workshops focusing on the local economy

Pillar 3 ? Meeting Basic Needs through Local Economic Development Building Co-operatives Engaging Local Government Mass Mobilisation
Building Co-operatives	Engaging Local Government	Social Welfare
Branches and Districts must: - Launch and sustain 1 co-operative per district by December Conduct education and training workshops on building co-ops with SACP members, ANC, SANCO, communities, etc. Work on joint co-op programmes with ANC, SANCO, etc. Highlight co-ops during the food security month (September) in the ANC POA	Branches and Districts must: - Work with the council and council officials to ensure that local government develops policy which favours co-ops in the awarding of tenders and allocation of funds Work with the council to ensure local economic development and that local government uses its power to engage local banks on local economic development Work with the council to take forward the provision of basic amounts of free water and electricity Work with the ANC, SANCO, communities, etc. on the above programmes Ensure that ward committees function and include the building of co-ops and the above programme in their work	Branches and Districts must: - Mobilise and distribute food parcels from government departments to poor families Mobilise people to grow food in community food gardens Organise clean-up campaigns Help the elderly on pension days   National Tasks SACP engagement with government, the ANC, COSATU, on the provision of a Basic Income Grant, zero-rating of basic food-stuffs, other forms of social insurance and the People?s Budget Campaign
We want to: - Mobilise people in local communities for development where they live Build lively and sustainable communities Build social capital through co-operatives, community trusts, burial societies, etc. Take forward economic transformation at a local level Build a better life for all by meeting basic needs Build the capacity of SACP structures to lead and contribute to social and economic transformation at a local level

Pillar 4 ? THE 11TH NATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE SACP - Refer to Pages 3 and 4

Gender Aspects and Tasks from the SACP 2002 Programme of Action

The table below brings to the attention of SACP cadres the gender aspects and tasks which arise from our POA for 2002. These are mentioned in brief and not detailed. It is the tasks of districts, branches and provinces to ensure that the implementation of the POA elaborates and takes forward these gender aspects and tasks.

The Financial Sector	The Public Sector and Industrial Strategy	Meeting Basic Needs through Local Economic Development
NEDLAC demands and negotiations must develop a gender focus on how to address the impact of the current structure and conduct of the financial sector on women. The Campaign Forum must develop a gender focus and a programme to mobilise women and their organisations behind the campaign. Eviction of bond defaulters affects women mostly.	Privatisation deepens gender inequalities as it affects women more. Women and their organisation must be mobilised to support a strong, democratic and accountable public sector. Programmes of government and public sector unions can also have a gender focus in order to impact on service delivery in a way which advances gender equality. In accessing public resources, focus must be paid to train women in procurement, co-ops, etc. Economic transformation workshops in districts must conduct a gender analysis of the local economy and develop strategies. The same must be done in elaborating the SACP perspective on an industrial strategy.	Primarily women must be mobilised in the building of co-operatives. The representation and active participation of working class women in ward committees is important. Local economic development must be directed at improving the living conditions of women. A basic income grant, zero-rating of basic foodstuffs, etc could also have the same impact. Initiatives for a women?s budget at local government can also be useful. Integrated Development Planning must also include a gender focus.

11th Congress

Ongoing SACP work

All documents for the 11th Congress must include a gender focus and analysis. The Dora Tamana workshop recommended that the composition of delegates to the 11th Congress must reflect the gender demographics of the country. The Dora Tamana workshop called for the holding of an SACP Women?s/Gender Conference. The Dora Tamana workshop recommended that the 11th Congress could discuss a comprehensive SACP Programme and Policy Document on the Transformation of Gender Relations.

Party Building The 2002 Red October programme must focus on the organisation of women into the SACP Half of the 10 000 new members to be recruited in must be drawn from women in townships, informal settlements, unions, domestic work, farms, services sector, the public sector, unemployed students and youth. The Party Building Commission could develop mechanisms and programmes to encourage and monitor gender work and the building of women activists in the SACP. Gender commission and women?s conference must undertake a rigorous analysis of SACP Party Building Strategy including how we recruit (targeted) women. Cadreship development work must develop and advance our theory and understanding of gender equality and encourage the building of women activists and gender conscious men in the SACP The SACP must have a clear focus and programme on August 9 focusing on working class women.

DISTRICT COUNCILS: 2/3 FEB
PROVINCIAL COUNCILS: 9/10 FEB
CENTRAL COMMITTEE: 15-17 FEB
PEC MEETINGS: 23/24 FEB
MOSES KOTANE PARTY BUILDING STRATEGY MEETING: IN FEBRUARY ? DATE TO BE CONFIRMED

Contact: Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara

Department of Media, Information and Publicity - South African Communist Party

Tel ? 011 339 3621;
Fax ? 011 339 4244;
Cell ? 083 651 0271

P.O. Box 1027
Johannesburg, 2000

Email ? sacp1@wn.apc.org;
Website ? www.sacp.org.za

include dealing with evictions of bond defaulters, the cancellation of bank charges for recipients of welfare grants and HIV/AIDS discrimination in the financial sector.