The South African Communist Party Kwazulu- Natal Province, Provincial Council Declaration

25th – 27th July 2008, University of Kwazulu Natal Howard College

We, the SACP delegates, constituted of 400 delegates drawn from more than 150 branches representing the entire province make the following declaration. This Council was held over three days from the 25th to 28th July 2008, in Durban-University of KwaZulu Natal Howard College Campus to consider the state of the organization, the unfolding political events both nationally and provincially.

The Provincial Council congratulated the African National Congress in Kwazulu Natal and the leadership elected for its successful conference in June 2008. Having considered both the political and organizational reports the Council resolved:

1. ELECTRICITY AND ESKOM

1. That the recent power outages witnessed in out country reflects poor leadership from responsible Ministers, who ignored calls for investments in the energy industry. Therefore the Council resolved that those Ministers be dismiss with immediate effect:
2. That Eskom should be decommercialised to enhance the capacity of the developmental state to carry out its service delivery and transformational agenda;
3. Investigations into the impropriety of management witnessed through manipulating the finance audit in order to justify hefty bonuses be investigated and action taken against the culprits;
4. Revive decommissioned power station in KwaZulu Natal like Colenso; and
5. Reopen the coal mining and dedicate it to electricity generation using methods that reduce gas emission.

2. FOOD PRICE INCREASES

The provincial Council of the SACP deplored rising food prices and price fixing. It calls on the SACP to move quickly in developing a new approach to the agrarian question in South Africa. The efforts of the KZN Provincial government in seeking to transform agriculture in the province were recognized. But the provincial Council expressed doubts about the pricing system being used in agriculture. The Council therefore resolved:

1. That the party be in the forefront in the struggles for food security.
2. Promotes food gardens among the community but at the same time quickly call for a food summit with the view to addressing the issue of food security.
3. That the party must engage government with the view to criminalize price fixing and call for the Human Right Commission to investigate this Human Right violation by food companies with the view to hauling them before the court of law.
4. That the SACP put together a group of comrades to visit Cuba so as to taken through their program for food security.

3. ATTACK ON FOREIGN NATIONALS

The PC also noted the recent spate of xenophobic attacks and the condemnation thereof by the South African Public. The SACP considered this racist, barbaric and tribalistic. The PC believes that the roots of these attacks are to be located in the way Capitalism develops in and outside the country.The SACP in KZN also condemns the harassment and arrest of the National Chairperson of the YCL and a member of the political buro of the SACP, Cde David Masondo. Cde Masondo was mistaken for a foreigner by the police to show the extent of this satanic attitude of how far it has gone. The SACP has to this effect worked collaboratively with the range of progressive organization in assisting those affected by these attacks. The party condemns their barbaric treatment by some sectors, especially their manhandling by Durban Metro Police. While the Party supports the recent move by government to register immigrants, but however it urges that the rights of the refugees and asylum must be protected.

4. ZIMBABWE

The PC also noted the crises in Zimbabwe and calls for an immediate stop to the brutalizing of working people as well as the spate of violence meted out against the opposition party members. To this effect the Party calls for the following:

1. The immediate release of all political prisoners.
2. That the Zimbabwe government recognizes and respect the 29 March 2008 election process and ensure the immediate and periodical sitting of the Zimbabwe Parliament.
3. That the South African Government, SADEC and the Zimbabwean political parties ensures that the current negotiations about Zimbabwe are as inclusive and as mass based as possible with clear mandating processes.

Further more the SACP explored and will soon implement methods for engaging the democratic force in Zimbabwe, including the MDC. The SACP need to strengthen our relations with left forces in Zimbabwe.

5. JACOB ZUMA CASE

The PC further reaffirmed its support for the call for the state to drop all charges against the President of the ANC, comrade Jacob Zuma and further resolve the following;

1. That the government put together the commission to investigate the harassment and bad treatment of JZ by NPA, media, key individuals, and the judiciary and thereby causing serious instability in the country and threaten the interest and security of state.
2. That the state discloses to the public the public finds it has thus far used to prosecute JZ.
3. Call upon all community members to converge at PMB High Court on 4 August 2008 to support the JZ in his application for the case to be declared unconstitutional.

6. RENAMING OF FACILITIES

The PC also resolved to support Ethekwini Metro in its endeavors to rewriting and Decolinzing the South African history through, amongst other things, street naming and to this effect call for the Municipality to intensify this project including calling for the KZN MEC for education, Ina Cronje to confirm the renaming of Illovu Primary school to Andrew Zondo. The SACP provincial conference on the matter.

7. ELECTIONS

The PC further noted that the year 2009 is the year of National and therefore call for its structures to be deeply rooted in all mass work for an increased ANC electoral victory. This victory must be premised on a though going transformational program of the alliance.

Issued by SACP KZN.

Contact: Themba Mthembu, SACP Provincial Secretary @ 083 303 6988