2 February 2021
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in Gauteng Province held its ordinary Provincial Working Committee (PWC) on 1 February 2021, where it resolved to call on all revolutionary forces in the Province to maximise their unity, isolate wedge drivers and divisive elements, hell-bent on attacking our historic and primary political partner, the African National Congress (ANC), its democratic government and elected leaders, particularly the Provincial Office-Bearers (POB’s).
The PWC resolved to make this call following a week of an unprecedented onslaught, vilification and slander against POB’s of the ANC, in particular the Provincial Chairperson and Premier comrade David Makhura, Deputy Provincial Chairperson and MEC of Education comrade Panyaza Lesufi and Provincial Secretary comrade Jacob Khawe.
On the attacks against the Premier and ANC Provincial Chairperson, cde David Makhura
The PWC noted that in the case of comrade David Makhura, a mere mistake in the analysis of evidence by a Judge in a Tribunal where comrade Makhura was not even a subject before the court, has been elevated to allegations of corruption. A Judge clearly misrepresented the affidavit of former Department of Health Chief Financial Officer (CFO) by conflating and clouding the words “Premier” the person with the Department and "the Office of the Premier". In other words, the key issue before the people of the province is a gross and clear mistake by the Judge. We are convinced that as matters stand, there are no allegations made by any person relating to corruption by Premier David Makhura.
Whilst we respect the profound and historic principle of the independence of Alliance partners, we do not believe that there is any scientific basis for the Premier to appear before the Provincial Integrity Commission (PIC). We also believe that the PIC must also not be rented as an instrument of factional maneuvering, but should be respected as we do, to remain the profound instrument of defending the National Democratic Revolution (NDR).
We are firmly convinced that what remains is a product of gutter and garbage journalism that even ignored the essential content of the former CFO’s affidavit that the submitted lists were not “determinative” in appointing these companies for provision of any service. In the light of recent revelations before the State Capture Commission about alleged corrupting of journalists, we remain deeply concerned why this critical aspect in the affidavit was deliberately ignored.
The PWC also equally dismisses, with contempt, the notion that holding people directly accountable based on facts, and without fear or favour constitutes a crisis of leadership. On the contrary, we believe that consequence management is the core of leadership and accountability, a rare practice in our government. We therefore call on Premier Makhura to remain resolute and firm in his consistent discipline and outlook, to hold people accountable and take firm action irrespective of who they are, their perceived factional power and the positions they hold.
We fully support the Premier’s decision to seek clarity from the Judge and correctly not yet take on review a very important judgement we fully support. We also fully support the decision for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate the allegation of the role of the Office of the Premier on this matter as clearly stated in the former CFO’s affidavit. We call on the people of the province to await, as we do, the outcomes of these processes before reaching any conclusions.
On the attacks against comrades Panyaza Lesufi and Jacob Khawe respectively
In the case of comrade Panyaza Lesufi, the PWC noted the Accounting Officer’s report on the spending of R431 million in the disinfection and the deep cleaning of schools. The meeting was of the view that the attacks against comrade Lesufi in the absence of a report by a relevant and competent authority, constitutes a vicious, factional and slanderous attack. The PWC calls on the people of the province to wait for the outcome of a proper investigation on this matter.
With respect to comrade Jacob Khawe and the allegation that he manipulated tender processes in Emfuleni Municipality in favour of his wife, without a proper investigation by a reputable and credible authority, borders on factionalism, slander and malicious attacks. The PWC concluded that equally, the people of the province should wait for the outcome of an investigation on this matter by a competent institution.
On alleged internal fighting within the ANC as the basis of these counter-revolutionary activities.
The PWC noted media reports attributed to the Provincial Secretary, comrade Jacob Khawe that the current wave of counter-revolutionary attacks is a direct result of internal fighting within the ranks of our Alliance partner, the ANC. We view these assertions in the most serious light especially considering that they were never denied or challenged as gross misrepresentation in the media. We believe that the ANC must pay attention to these assertions as they apparently constitute the real root cause of the current wave of counter-revolutionary activity in the province. The PWC argued this point based on overwhelming historic international experience that counter-revolution tends to take various forms essentially but not limited to:
- Slander, vicious and nefarious attacks against revolutionary leaders.
- Key sites of power, especially those of economic power as urban centers to engineer a regime change agenda, hence our province is not immune.
- As an external force, co-opt and collaborate with the internal enemy or the enemy from within.
- Use of Donald Trump-type of neo-fascist campaign of lies, slander and disinformation focused on personal elimination and smear of leaders.
It is in this context that the meeting took seriously, the assertions attributed to comrade Jacob Khawe considering the strategic importance of the position he holds in the day-to-day operations of our Alliance partner including the Alliance Secretariat. To this end, the PWC mandated the Secretariat of the SACP in the Province to seek political clarity from the ANC as a matter of principle and revolutionary practice. The PWC is of the view that the SACP and the alliance at large must be taken into confidence on the form, nature and character of these enemy agents by our Alliance partner.
Flowing from tested historical experience, the PWC has every reason to believe that a nincompoop faction (npf) exists within the broader revolutionary forces that sheepishly collaborate and work with the external enemy to destabilise and liquidate the ANC. We are convinced that this strangely hyped faction is oriented on a falsehood of a pathetic type that it can have its cake and still eat it.
In other words, this faction is mobilised, perhaps even naively, on the fallacious logic that it can collaborate with the historic enemies of the revolutionary movement by attacking the ANC, its leaders and government, and still have an ANC that enjoys the confidence of the working class and the revolutionary people. For example, this faction mysteriously believes that it is possible to mobilise for a no-confidence vote with the enemy camp to unseat the ANC Premier and still have an ANC-led provincial government. The PWC resolved to caution that if this were to happen, it will become a never-ending daily occurrence.
In this regard, the PWC, once more, calls for maximum unity, closing of ranks, whilst isolating clearly corrupt elements based on facts and not fiction, that is, fighting corruption without fear or favour, irrespective of the person involved and the position they hold. We further call for the immediate isolation of the enemy from within or preferably what Oliver Reginald Tambo would have simply referred to as “wedge drivers”.
The PWC remains fully convinced that only through maximum unity can we advance, deepen and defend the NDR, the only basis of the unity of the Alliance and the people as a whole.
Issued by the SACP Gauteng Province
Contact:
Sekete Moshoeshoe - SACP Gauteng 2nd Deputy Secretary
Mobile: 061 498 9113
