The South African Communist Party (SACP) in Limpopo Province held a virtual Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting on Saturday 20 June 2020. The meeting discussed a number of issues including analysis of the situation in the province.

1. MESSAGES OF CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF OUR FALLEN COMRADES

The PEC sends condolences to families and friends of recently deceased comrades in the province. Those who passed on include our provincial organiser, Comrade Dan Sematla, Comrade Tseke Lepota (Chief Whip of Sekhukhune District Municipality and ANC REC member), Comrade Thabo Makunyane (former Robben Island political prisoner, first Executive Mayor of the City of Polokwane and ANC Limpopo Provincial Commissar), Comrade Barry Golele (former President of Giyani Youth Congress), Comrade Lesiba Makopo (former Chairperson of Ephraim Mogale Sub-region) and Ntate Lenkwati (Chairperson of Sekhukhune Veteran’s League).

2. SACP MEMORIAL LECTURES

The PEC will, through the Secretariat, organise a broad online political education program and memorial lectures in honour of our past leaders and heroes throughout the province. These lectures will serve as political education sessions dedicated to developing our cadres. We believe these will go a long way in building a politically conscious cadreship for our Party and the entire democratic movement.

3. CAMPAIGN AGAINST GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

The PEC calls on all its cadres, structures and leaders at all levels to take part in the campaign against gender-based violence in their communities. The scourge of gender-based violence, particularly the alarming levels of femicide and infanticide, in our country is shocking. These consequences of patriarchy and capitalism must be fought and defeated by all of us. We call on the police to prioritise these cases and act swiftly when they are reported.

4. RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The entire world is going through the crises brought about by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic which is wreaking havoc. Many people have already died as a consequence. In our country the government has responded through tough lockdown measures and other regulations to stem the tide of the disease. We believe that in general the state has responded well, but we raise the following:

• We welcome the disaster relief fund for unemployed people but demand that it be changed to be a permanent Basic Income Grant post Covid-19.
• We reject moves to get loans from the international loan sharks such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, which come with negative conditionalities for developing countries.
• There must be a thorough investigation into Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) corruption by some companies taking advantage of their workers.
• We welcome initiatives around the development of a Covid-19 vaccine but demand that it be universally and freely availed to every citizen once available.

5. ECONOMIC CHALLENGES FACING OUR PEOPLE

The pre Covid-19 economic challenges of recession, rising unemployment and junk status are still with us. Already, huge companies are either collapsing or have announced retrenchment of workers, such as SAA, SA Express, Edcon, SASOL and SABC. These announcements are worsening the already bad situation of the working class and poor. We must fight these retrenchments alongside Cosatu and its affiliate unions.

These retrenchments happen against the backdrop of the tough lockdown regulations that have already negatively impacted on the livelihoods of ordinary workers, the self-employed and those living from hand to mouth. The post Covid-19 economic situation must be turned positive for the overwhelming majority of the people of our country, particularly the workers and poor.

6. THE ARREST OF VBS SUSPECTS

The PEC welcomes the long-awaited arrests of suspects implicated in the collapse of the Venda Building Society Mutual Bank. We hope the NPA will recover the monies lost by ordinary depositors in the bank. We call on the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) to pursue more suspects responsible for the criminal collapse of the bank. We hope the blood of the martyrs who were killed for campaigning against illegal investments in the bank, Comrades Thabang Maupa, Ronald Mani and Tshililo Timson Musetho, were not spilt in vain. The police must continue to hunt down those responsible for their assassination and they must face the music.

Issued by the SACP Limpopo Province

Contact:

Goodman Mitileni
Acting SACP Limpopo Provincial Secretary
Mobile: 082 740 6936
Tel: 015 297 8128
Email:  mitileniw@icloud.com

Machike Thobejane
SACP Limpopo Provincial Spokesperson
Mobile: 082 307 0095
Tel: 015 2978128
Email: machikesacp@gmail.com