SACP Central Committee statement

SACP Central Committee statement

Sunday, 1 December 2024

As we hold this press briefing on the key outcomes of our Central Committee Plenary, held from Friday 29 November to Sunday, 1 December 2024, our ally, the largest and leading non-racial trade union federation in our country, COSATU, is celebrating the 39^th anniversary of its founding. Founded on 1 December 1985, COSATU played a key role in the struggle against the apartheid workplace, apartheid industrial relations and the apartheid regime at large. COSATU was at the forefront of South Africa's progressive labour legislation.

The SACP wishes the federation more strength and unity in the ongoing workers' struggles and beyond. The most sustainable solution to the problems faced by the workers lies in the broader working-class struggle to end the exploitative capitalist system. We will continue working together with COSATU in these struggles.

The SACP Central Committee marked a crucial moment for the SACP. The Party is heading to its Fifth Special National Congress scheduled for 11 to 14 December 2024 at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng Province. Registration for media accreditation to cover the Special National Congress is open.

The SACP General Secretary presented the political report, first discussed by the Politburo on Monday, 25 November 2024, outlining the founding tenets and framework proposed for discussion by the Special National Congress. Therefore, the political report to be presented to the Special National Congress by the General Secretary will be a Central Committee political report. Likewise, the plenary received and discussed the organisational and other reports prepared for presentation as Central Committee reports to the Special National Congress.

Towards the Special National Congress and way forward for the SACP and the working class at large

Over the last 30 years of our democratic dispensation, we have witnessed significant political developments and the trajectory of South Africa's economic and social policies. These have produced both positive and negative outcomes. The key task facing the SACP at its Special National Congress is clear: assert its independence with unwavering determination in the struggle to end unemployment, poverty, inequality and the system of capitalist exploitation.

While there have been positive outcomes, such as the provision of housing for the poor and expanded access to water, electricity, education, healthcare and social grants, the negatives reached a point where they overshadow the positives.

Unemployment has remained alarmingly high, exceeding 20 per cent since 1996 when using the narrow definition that excludes discouraged work seekers. It later surged beyond 30 per cent. Under the expanded definition, which includes discouraged work seekers, unemployment soared to over 40 per cent before insignificant moderations.

The situation is even more dire for Africans, the hardest-hit national group. Total unemployment for this group surpassed 50 per cent before any negligible declines. This is a devastating indictment of the economic policies trajectory followed since 1996.

Like unemployment, poverty and inequality are persistently at crisis-high levels. Associated with these indicators of a deep-rooted capitalist system crisis, crime levels have sky rocketed.

While there are slight reductions in some categories of crime during certain quarters, other quarters see increases in these and other categories. The overall reality is grim. Crime remains unacceptably high in aggregate terms. This fuels sleepless nights across affected communities nationwide.

People endure the scourge of drugs, theft, motor vehicle and house hijackings, housebreakings, robberies, murders, massacres, femicide, gender-based violence and other contact crimes. Public infrastructure has also faced relentless attacks and looting. These atrocities strike fear into the heart of our nation. Crime is also bad for investment in the economy. It demands urgent, militant action to restore public safety and security. This is also important to secure rising investment in the economy to meet the needs of the people.

While the legacy of apartheid and global capitalist crises have contributed to the persistent high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality, the core issue in the policy space lies in the dominance of reformist policies. This began under the apartheid regime and heightened since the adoption of GEAR in 1996, entrenching long-term economic policy failure.

Trade and financial liberalisation shock therapy undermined the imperative to halt de-industrialisation and create employment at a scale that is sufficient to overcome the unemployment crisis. Austerity measures have undermined transformative and developmental programmes, including government investment in state-owned enterprises and the expansion of the publicly owned economy. Industrial policy, public infrastructure development, maintenance and security have all suffered as a result of austerity and other neo-liberal policy measures. These policies have betrayed the working class and derailed our path to genuine economic transformation.

The inclusion of the right-wing, neo-liberal DA in the government of national unity will buttress the entrenched neo-liberal paradigm or reinforce it. In its reactionary role, the DA continues to reflect an anti-working-class politics and economic policy posture as seen in its opposition to the national minimum wage and its improvement, the BELA Act and the National Health Insurance, among others.

Also, the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement and the accompanying Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance last month, leaves our country in the scenario characterised by persistently high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality in the coming years.

The status quo will not change without a radical shift. This requires a decisive change not only in policy but also in the political organisation and mobilisation of the working class. The Central Committee will assert the independence of the Party into action by implementing the outcomes of the Special National Congress across all key fronts of struggle and power contestation in society, including the electoral front.

The time for bold, militant action has arrived. The shifting balance of forces and political realignments taking place in our country demand nothing less. For far too long - dating back to July 2007 - the SACP has pursued the reconfiguration of the Alliance from within, through extensive engagements.

The fact that the SACP is part of the Alliance and the way the Alliance is configured must in no particular way compromise its independence. The overall struggle for a socialist transition to solve our society's principal economic and social problems on a sustainable basis is urgent.

Therefore, the modalities to be adopted by the Special National Congress on asserting the independence of the SACP, including in how the Party engages in electoral battles for democracy, which is now captured by capital, will in a very real way bring about tangible reconfiguration of the Alliance.

The SACP will announce the outcomes openly through the declaration and resolutions to be adopted by the Special National Congress, setting a clear path for the future. After the Special National Congress, the Political Bureau and the Central Committee will delve into tactical details towards the 2026 local government elections.

Following our all-important bilateral meeting with the ANC on 24 November 2024, going forward our engagement will be firmly guided by the outcomes of our Special National Congress.

Equally, the SACP will engage in bilateral meetings with other Alliance partners, COSATU and SANCO, as well as in joint Alliance consultative processes. This engagement process will reflect the Party's unwavering commitment to secure the success of the anti-imperialist NDR, which is the basis for our Alliance, and the overall struggle for socialist transformation.

In our determination to build broader working-class unity, strengthen our efforts to forge a popular left front and build a powerful, socialist movement of the workers and poor, we will also engage with other progressive worker and left formations, including trade unions.

Illegal mining

Illegal mining in South Africa is a glaring indictment of the capitalist system's inherent failures and crises. The capitalist minerals mining regime, rooted in the ruthless exploitation of labour and national resources, has left a trail of disused mines and devastated communities. These abandoned sites are a grim example of the greed of capitalist mining bosses who prioritised profit over sustainability and social well-being, extracting wealth and leaving behind environmental degradation and economic despair. The crisis in Pilgrim's Rest, Mpumalanga Province, and Stilfontein, North West Province, exemplifies how this legacy fuels new forms of exploitation, violence and acts of criminality.

The surge in illegal mining is intertwined with the broader crises plaguing Southern Africa. The capitalist system has failed to create work for all, leading to widespread unemployment, poverty, inequality and a general crisis of capitalist social reproduction. Mostly undocumented migrants, many of whom lack work permits, have been drawn into illegal mining, some coerced by recruiters, while others join out of sheer desperation from Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and other countries.

The mostly undocumented migrant miners and their South African illegal mining counterparts, often referred to as "zama zamas", operate in dangerous conditions, risking their lives, while fuelling an illicit economy that benefits criminal networks. Included in these criminal networks are white collar criminals, who buy and sell the illegally mined minerals, profiteering. There is collusion by certain established mining houses in this phenomenon.

The crisis in Pilgrim's Rest and Stilfontein is not isolated but part of a broader systemic failure. This is rooted in the capitalist logic of profit over people. All this takes place in a state with weakened capacity as a result of neo-liberal policies, such as austerity, as well as state capture and other forms of systemic and opportunistic corruption.

Illegal mining does not occur in a vacuum. It is accompanied by a host of other crimes, such as illegal trade in minerals, illegal firearms and assault rifles, illegal drugs and the scourge of gender-based violence, including sexual assaults, as well as human trafficking. Communities affected by illegal mining are often caught in a web of violence and corruption, with some members benefiting financially, while others bear the brunt of crime and insecurity.

This division of the community exacerbates social tensions and weakens collective efforts to confront the root causes: the exploitative capitalist system and its failures and crises. The SACP has consistently stood with communities, advocating for unity, structural transformation and the eradication of these injustices.

To address the crisis effectively, we must confront the capitalist system and the failed macroeconomic and sectoral policies that have created conditions for this crisis. A revolutionary transformation is needed, one that prioritises the needs of the workers and poor. This includes holding mining corporations accountable for their historical and ongoing exploitation, environmental degradation, and implementing stringent regulations to combat illegal mining.

We reaffirm our commitment to the widest possible working-class unity to ensure that communities are at the centre of sustainable development efforts, including a thriving small-scale mining sector - in a context where environmental protection prevails. Without tackling the structural causes of inequality and exploitation, the crisis will continue in a variety of ways.

Food safety and local economic development crises

The crisis of unsafe food and the tragic deaths of children expose deep systemic issues in townships, villages and sections of towns and cities with high concentrations of working-class and poor communities. This is also a sign of the social reproduction crisis linked with the high levels of unemployment, poverty, inequality and crime.

Amid the situation, informal traders and tuckshops often operate without proper regulation or adherence to health standards. Hazardous practices, including the storage of food with banned pesticides like terbufos and aldicarb have, according to various reports, directly caused deaths. Poor waste management exacerbates the dangers, compounding the risks of contaminated products. This neglect is a betrayal of our communities.

Local economies are now dominated by well-supported and co-ordinated foreign-controlled networks, on the one hand, and by domestic large retail corporations, on the other hand. This has displaced local shopkeepers, small and informal sector enterprises, and survivalist activities, forcing many to close down, entrenching poverty. The affected local shopkeepers, small and informal sector enterprises have not had sectoral policy support and enabling co-ordination. This has badly affected local economic development and the empowerment of communities.

The government must act decisively to root out the crisis. Removing banned pesticides and implementing stricter food safety regulations is vital. However, meaningful progress requires more than enforcement. It demands robust support for community-owned stores and co-operatives, integrated with local production development and ensuring sustainable livelihoods. Failure to invest in and empower local community members, particularly under austerity measures that have also weakened law enforcement capacity, will perpetuate the crisis. This must stop.

National Health Insurance and Education Laws Amendment Act Implementation

We will intensify our joint campaigns with COSATU and other progressive worker unions. COSATU's resolutions on the National Health Insurance (NHI) and the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (BELA Act), which align with the SACP's positions on these critical transformation imperatives, are among our shared immediate objectives.

In its Central Executive Committee statement of 29 November 2024, COSATU identified, as a key task, the development of campaigns to counter efforts aimed at blocking the implementation of the NHI and the BELA Act.

We also welcome COSATU's commitment to the Friends of the National Health Insurance, a popular left front initiative to mobilise mass support for the decisive and comprehensive rollout of the NHI. This is essential to ensure access to quality healthcare for all and to defeat the profit-driven section of capital that makes profits from the exploitation of healthcare.

The SACP further welcomes COSATU's resolution, as part of the popular left front campaign, to counter efforts by the racists who oppose the implementation of clauses 4 and 5 of the BELA Act in what they refer to as "Afrikaans schools". These clauses are critical to end the practices of school governing bodies that uphold the apartheid legacy of discrimination and exclusion. Such practices deprive African learners of access to these schools through exclusionary admission and language policies, which act as barriers rather than enablers of access.

The SACP denounces machinations to manipulate NEDLAC process through selective consultation. No legitimate NEDLAC process can legitimise racist agendas.

Drought relief

South Africa is grappling with a severe drought that threatens livelihoods, food security and the broader economy. The persistent lack of rainfall has hit agricultural regions hard, with smallholder farmers, particularly those historically disadvantaged, bearing the brunt against inequality in access to water and other resources. Crops are failing, water sources are dwindling, and livestock deaths are mounting. This crisis disproportionately affects rural communities already marginalised by systemic capitalist inequalities, deepening their vulnerabilities and exacerbating poverty.

The SACP Central Committee called on the government to take urgent and decisive action to prioritise drought relief, with a focus on ensuring the equitable allocation of resources, targeting those who have been historically disadvantaged. Long-term strategies, including investment in climate-resilient infrastructure and sustainable farming practices, are critical to protecting our nation from future climate-induced disasters.

Struggle for gender equality and against gender-based violence

The SACP calls on all its structures and members to intensify their efforts in advancing the struggle for gender equality and justice during the 2024 Sixteen Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign. Under the theme, "Unite Against Gender-Based Violence: Empower, Protect and Transform", this campaign challenges all of us as South Africans to confront the patriarchal structures that perpetuate gender-based violence and inequality, as well as violence against children. The SACP reaffirms its unwavering commitment to dismantle these systems, fostering equality, and building a society where the rights and dignity of women and children are respected and protected by every person.

The Central Committee strongly condemned the horrific brutality of rape that continues to plague our country. We are appalled by reports of extortion through so-called "protection from rape" demanded by rape gangs in Mqhekezweni, Eastern Cape, targeting vulnerable victims. This despicable exploitation represents the worst form of predatory violence, which must be eradicated with urgency and resolve. We call on law enforcement authorities to leave no stone unturned in apprehending these perpetrators and ensuring they face the full might of the law. SACP members and structures must work closely with communities, grassroots organisations and progressive movements to fight this scourge and uphold the principle of gender equality and public safety and security. This task is part of the cornerstones of our revolutionary struggle.

Anti-imperialism and solidarity with the struggles against imperialist aggression and for global justice

The SACP unequivocally condemns the intensification of imperialist aggression globally and reaffirms its solidarity with all peoples resisting oppression and occupation. The decline of the United States-led unipolar world is a clear sign of the crisis within imperialism itself. For decades, the US has imposed its Monroe Doctrine on Cuba and neo-liberal agenda on the world, exploiting nations through coercive economic practices. However, the emergence of a multipolar world, driven by the rise of the People's Republic of China and the assertiveness of the Russian Federation, signifies a growing challenge to the US-led imperialist collective West.

The SACP stands firmly with the government and people of Cuba, who continue to endure the illegal US blockade and relentless imperialist attempts to undermine their socialist development path.

We also express our unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people, victims of the apartheid Israeli settler regime's genocidal aggression, and the people of Western Sahara, still suffering under Moroccan occupation.

Likewise, we extend our support to the peoples of Venezuela, Syria and Lebanon, who face ongoing imperialist attacks and machination.

We call for an immediate end to the war in Sudan, which also threatens the peace and sovereignty of the African continent.

Further, we reiterate our support for the people of Swaziland struggling for democracy and freedom.

The African continent remains a focal point of imperialist exploitation, where neo-colonial structures perpetuate dependency and poverty. The ongoing conflicts in Sudan, the DRC and Mozambique are not driven by internal dynamics only. In no small measure, these conflicts are further evidence of imperialist powers causing instability to extract resources and maintain control.

The SACP expresses solidarity with the people of Mozambique and FRELIMO against imperialist interference, destabilisation and post-election violence. Mozambique needs the government to focus on serving the people, achieving inclusive development, peace and an end to wars.

The SACP wishes SWAPO of Namibia success in the Namibian elections held at the end of November 2024. SWAPO is a crucial force in the anti-imperialist struggle. As a result, imperialist forces, using money politics and media mouthpieces, have engaged in machinations and propaganda against SWAPO and ultimately the majority of the Namibian people.

The SACP reiterates the necessity of regional and wider African continental unity as a counter-hegemonic force. Unity among African people and states, anchored in anti-imperialist and emancipatory principles, is essential to dismantle the domination by the imperialist collective West. This is crucial for the imperative to build economies that serve the needs of the people rather than the profits of multinational exploiters.

The Palestinian people's struggle exposes the ruthless motives of imperialism. Backed by the US, the apartheid Israeli settler regime's aggression in Gaza aims not only to annihilate the Palestinian people but also to seize control of critical natural resources, including offshore gas reserves. These actions reveal the true nature of imperialist alliances and their disregard for human rights and sovereignty. The SACP calls on all progressive forces worldwide to intensify their solidarity with the Palestinian people and demand an immediate end to Israeli apartheid and genocide.

As the unipolar world order declines, it is imperative to consolidate a multipolar framework that prioritises justice, equality, peace and an end to global uneven development. The SACP supports initiatives such as BRICS, which, while not yet perfect, represent a significant step towards building a counter-hegemonic pole that challenges the US-led imperialist collective West domination. However, true liberation will require more than state-led alliances. It necessitates the active mobilisation of working-class forces, trade unions and people's movements to construct a future without the exploitation of one person and state by another.

The SACP reiterates its commitment to international solidarity as a cornerstone of our struggle. We will continue to work with anti-imperialist movements and build platforms for co-operation and resistance. In this critical moment, the choice before humanity is stark: emancipation and socialism on the one hand or barbarism and slavery on the other hand. The SACP is resolute in advancing the national, anti-imperialist, democratic revolution towards non-capitalist development, a socialist future. We resolute in supporting all oppressed peoples in their fight for self-determination, justice and peace.

Tribute to Napthal Manana

The SACP pays tribute to Comrade Naphtal "Naph" Manana, an uMkhonto weSizwe combatant and our former ambassador to Cuba. Napth was sentenced to death by the apartheid regime in 1980 for his brave fight for the liberation of our people.

Together with his comrades, Petros Mashego and Johnson Lubisi, they were taken to the death row at the Pretoria Central Prison. Following international mobilisation by our liberation movement against the death sentence, the apartheid regime finally relented and commuted the sentence from death to life imprisonment. Comrade Napth served his sentence on Robben Island from 1982 until his release in 1991 following the unbanning of the ANC, the SACP and other organisations.

Issued by the South African Communist Party,
Founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa.

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