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The SACP in the Western Cape convened an ordinary Provincial Executive Committee on a virtual platform, on the evening of 07 March 2024 to reflect on the broader political situation in the province; consider the elections programme of action; and analyse pertinent matters in the global political arena, particularly the unfolding genocide in Palestine and the wider Middle East.

On the changing provincial political landscape in the Western Cape

In the Western Cape, the ruling DA is confronted by a popular rejection from the ground due to its regressive secessionist tendencies disguised as devolution of powers as well as its immoral support for genocidal actions of the apartheid Israel regime against the innocent Palestinians in Gaza.

Popular anger and indignation has been widely expressed through many mass demonstrations of solidarity across various parts of the province including the skirmishes in Sea Point, Mitchell’s Plain, Stellenbosch, Wynberg to mention but a few. Not only has the DA’s duplicity and hypocrisy been exposed but their complicity in the slaughter of innocent women and children of Palestine has betrayed their inherent racism and pretentious respect for human rights.

Scores of peace-loving South Africans demonstrated their support for the Palestinian cause on the streets through mass protests and demonstrated solidarity by warmly welcoming the Palestinian National Soccer team in Cape Town. Typically, and out of desperation, the Mayor claimed to offer the use of Athlone Stadium and meagre financial support after initially declining the request to use the Cape Town Stadium. This pretentiousness and political gimmicks fooled no one.

No to the Zionist DA’s unconstitutional Powers Bill 

On their domestic secessionist tendencies, the DA is using its tired tactics of blame-shifting, deflection, and diversion of their glaring failures as somehow inadequacies of national government in order to spawn a racist republic within the South African territory. Through the poorly conceived Provincial Powers Bill, the DA sought to usurp the powers of national government in violation of the constitutional framework. The people of the Western Cape were not fooled by this gimmick. 

The people remain steadfast and resolute in their disdain for the DA which is manifestly expressed in the resounding rejection of the so-called Provincial Powers Bill. The people rejected the Bill which is simultaneously a rejection of the DA’s political agenda.

On the State of the Province Address and budget

Recently, the Premier delivered the State of the Province Address and subsequently, the MEC of Finance presented a budget. Both speeches were hallowed and bereft of any vision or developmental agenda for the province outside of delusional sloganeering. Both puppet leaders merely spouted the deflection and diversionary schemes lamenting budget cuts in housing, education, and health. But this is the same government that has a long history of closing schools and hospitals. This is a government that continuously fails to spend nationally allocated funds for the delivery of housing projects and consequently returns funds back to the national fiscus.

Both the SOPA and budget speeches were as uninspiring as the people who presented them in the first place. It is for this reason that the people have indicated in various survey polls that they will not support the DA in the 29 May 2024 general elections. The DA is projected to decline to around 43 per cent in May. This is the basis for their desperation and panic coupled with the looming rapture as evinced by mass exodus in its ranks. 

The less said about the hypocrisy of attempting to lampoon cadre development and deployment policy of the ANC whilst practising the same, the better. The SACP in the Western Cape challenges the DA for a public debate on the cadre deployment discourse. At that debate, the SACP will remind the DA of how it purged competent Black professionals in the City of Cape and the Provincial government in particular.

On the DA’s redeployment of the disgraced former Drakenstein Mayor Conrad Poole to the provincial legislature

The SACP in the Western Cape applauds the ANC-led broad front in the Drakenstein council on the removal of Conrad Poole as Drakenstein mayor on 28 February 2024 for corruption allegations. Given the seriousness of these allegations, the SACP calls for an investigation and ultimately arrest of Mr. Poole.

Despite these allegations, the DA elected to elevate the disgraced former mayor and redeployed him to the provincial legislature as MPL. The SACP rejects this redeployment and calls on the ANC-headed front in the Drakenstein municipality council to open a criminal case against Mr. Poole.

Unleashing the SACP RED BRIGADES for the ultimate victory of the ANC

The SACP re-affirms its support for the African National Congress (ANC) victory at the upcoming election on 29 May 2024. The ANC-headed alliance remains the best-placed organisation to lead the transformation currently underway. Against this background, the ANC headed Alliance is certainly poised for a resounding victory in the upcoming general elections to further deepen our fledging democratic system. 

As the SACP, we will intensify our independent yet complimentary campaign on the ground, in every house, street, squatter camp, township, farm, workplace or factory etc. Our Red Brigades are the most resolute and advanced core deployed to traverse the most difficult areas to defeat the regime change agenda of foreign interests and their domestic surrogates.

The basis of our support for the ANC victory is guided by the following key pillars of the ANC Manifesto:

Building of a People’s economy

Creation of work for all

Land redistribution 

Safety in our communities

Comprehensive Social Security, and

The roll-out of National Health Insurance 

The manifesto is the blueprint to entrench the revolutionary government and place the country on a higher growth path and inclusive development.

On The ANC Candidate List Process

The SACP welcomes the ANC Candidate List process. As the SACP, we appreciate the rigor of the process as an expression of the reconfiguration of the Alliance and renewal programme of the movement. Ideally, the list must produce a credible corps of the best of the best amongst members and leaders of the ANC headed Alliance in order to serve the people with integrity and diligence.

The ANC-headed Alliance’s rules for candidate selection processes are instructive on who should be deployed to either provincial legislature or national parliament. One crucial candidate selection rule is an instruction that to qualify for nominations, all candidates (not some) must amongst other things preferably possess a post-matric qualification and or have the capacity, experience, education, or expertise that will enable them to make a meaningful contribution in the relevant legislature or executive. The fundamental basis for this approach was to ensure that those nominated and ultimately deployed to the state are distinct and have clarity of thought and therefore will be able to serve our people selflessly and wholeheartedly.

However, the Western Cape process was mired by subjective contestation and external interference in the work of the Provincial List Committee. Such contestation and external influence potentially undermined the ideals of renewal as espoused in the candidate selection rules.

Despite this situation and our concerns, as the SACP we accept the outcome as imperfect as they are and we urge all disciplined cadres to focus on campaigning for the victory of the liberation movement.

Deployment of Comrade Pam Harris to the provincial legislature

The SACP in the province learned with shock though not surprised by a letter written by the ANC to Comrade Pam Harris advising her that the ANC’s Provincial Working Committee has decided to withdraw her deployment to the provincial legislature. This came despite the fact that Comrade Pam Harris had already resigned from her current position in the public service after the advice by the ANC to take a position in the provincial legislature as MPL. The withdrawal of her name came at a period when she was serving her notice as per her contract of employment. The termination of the employment process is at a stage where it is irreversible.

Therefore, we call the ANC to respect Comrade Pam Harris’ rights and allow the comrade to be sworn in this week as MPL.

On the disappearance and alleged murder of 6-year-old Joslin Smith in Saldahna

As the SACP we express our deep shock at the latest developments surrounding the kidnapping and/or trafficking of the innocent child.

We are deeply concerned about our police investigative capacity in the province. It is our firm view that the persons of interest or prime suspects ought to have been identified immediately when the child was reported missing in the local police station. They would have been able to be on the trail of the suspects. Against this background, the SACP reiterate its call for the inquiry to probe the capacity of the South African Police Service to prevent, combat and investigate crimes in the country and Western Cape in particular.

Issued by SACP Western Cape