28 December 2021

This year July marked the 100^th anniversary of the founding of the South African Communist Party as the Communist Party of South Africa. As the SACP, we are proud of the leadership we gave in establishing non-racialism in South Africa, as the first non-racial political organisation in our country. We are proud of the contribution we made in the struggle for gender equality. Communists worked together with other revolutionary democrats to build unity and our liberation movement, to end colonial and apartheid oppression in our land, to bring about democracy in our country and fight for the attainment of the South African freedom. The history of the liberation of South Africa will be incomplete without recognition of the sterling contribution of the Communist Party.   

When others said free at last, the SACP continued the struggle after our 1994 democratic breakthrough towards complete social emancipation, under a socialist transition. The many progressive advances that have benefitted millions of our people were achieved through struggle, including in the policy space. These achievements are now facing a threat of erosion. This became more apparent in the November 2021 local government elections.   

The most significant feature of the elections was the extremely low voter turnout. While the global COVID-19 pandemic had an impact, the bigger picture includes a deeply concerning trend of loss of faith in the democratic electoral processes. The legitimate concerns depressing, especially the workers and poor, include high levels of unemployment, inequality, and poverty, frequent load shedding, as well as municipal dysfunctionality, corruption and criminality. These and other problems created by the persisting capitalist economic crisis, neo-liberal policy failures, and the corrosion of revolutionary discipline negatively affect development, including the delivery of local government services. It was in this context, and because of divisions and infighting, that the trend of a decline in ANC electoral performance established in previous elections continued. By not voting, the growing number of ANC voters sent a strong message. The ANC, and the entire Alliance, must take that message to heart. 

Accordingly, the SACP adopted a programme of action for the forthcoming period which includes supporting the organisational renewal and unity of our movement, based upon a programme to serve our people diligently and capably. Also included in the programme is the imperative to intensify engagements and the struggle to build a new economy that can take care of the needs of the people, putting people before profit, and rejecting neo-liberalism. Strengthening the campaign to realise a universal basic income grant as part of building a comprehensive social security system is a critical element of social policy in the programme, which also includes the imperative to advance the right of all to work, fight crime and gender-based violence in particular and violence in general, overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, and acting against climate change. Working together, we can build a prosperous society.

On behalf of the SACP, I wish the poor and working people of our country and all other peace-loving South Africans all the best during this year-end season. I wish you all a prosperous new year.