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The SACP in the Western Cape held its first face-to-face Augmented Provincial Executive Committee meeting on Saturday, 14 May 2022, in Community House, Salt River in Cape Town. The meeting was attended by the Young Communist League of South Africa, delegates from Districts and our strategic Allies Cosatu and Sanco, and public representatives. The main thrust of the agenda of the PEC focused on strategic questions ahead of the SACP 15th National Congress through a comprehensive input by Central Committee member Comrade Buti Manamela, and extensive deliberations on the state of local governance in the Western Cape.

The Augmented PEC expressed extreme condemnation of the senseless and brutal killing of Aljazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by the Zionist Israeli Apartheid regime, on Wednesday 11 May 2022 in the occupied West Bank. The killing of journalists is an affront on media freedom as well as freedom of speech. It is part of the broader human rights violations perpetrated by the inhumane Israeli regime against the people of Palestine. The deafening silence of the US exposes their duplicity and hypocrisy. Their pretence to champion democracy and human rights is exposed by the naked support for the repressive Israeli regime.

On the global political terrain, the Augmented PEC expressed extreme concern on the US and NATO inspired escalation of the Russia/Ukraine conflict. The US unashamedly seeks a regime change in Russia, hence the provocation through NATO’s eastwards expansion to threaten the security of Russia in violation of the Minsk agreements. The A-PEC reiterated the Central Committee position for the cessation of hostilities and calls for peaceful resolution of the crisis to prevent deepening political, economic and social crisis and human suffering.

On the prevailing situation in our province, the meeting expressed dismay at the failure of law enforcement in the province to respond to mass killings in Khayelitsha, Hanover Park, Delft and Cape Flats more broadly. This level of criminality and insecurity is precipitated by the inability of the Western Cape government to improve the social conditions of our people. Communities remain gang infested, extortionist syndicates are thriving, community infrastructure is in a state of disrepair which indicates general neglect of working-class communities in favour of affluent suburbs.

The A-PEC further noted the desperation of the DA MEC Anton Bredell to not only control but to collapse Theewateskloof Municipality using Western Cape Act as a convenient excuse. The SACP has learnt about the DA’s intention to institute an investigation into the affairs of the municipality without affording the municipality space to resolve its internal affairs as directed by the Municipal Systems Act. This is nothing but abuse of political power to undermine the democratic will of the people as outcomes of the recent local government elections.

The meeting paid dedicated focus on the state of local governance with a lead discussion by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA). In this respect, emphasis was placed on the role of ANC councillors, whether in government or opposition, as agents of change. The Budget process currently underway must directly address the pressing challenges of infrastructure decay in our communities. There is a huge disconnect between people’s needs as expressed in the Integrated Development Plan. Our councillors must spearhead a people’s budget to respond to the people’s needs through a programme of mass mobilisation.

On the SACP 15th National Congress, the A-PEC reflected extensively on the discussion document regarding the neoliberal shift in the National Democratic Revolution. What is abundantly clear is that the current trajectory of the economy is untenable and requires a fundamental shift leftwards. Our contribution in enriching the strategic perspective document is to assert the necessity of a socialist oriented National Democratic Revolution. Importantly as the Party in the province we place a high premium on agitating working class radicalism for fundamental change. Working class radicalism in the face of neoliberal offensive is predicated on a strong vanguard Party of the working class. It is precisely for this reason that the renewal and redesign of the Party cannot be postponed. Renewal of membership, structures and leadership is critical as the SACP enters the second centenary.

The SACP Western Cape A-PEC further placed emphasis on the urgent question of environmental justice stressing the principle of fair, just and equitable carbon transition. It is important to understand the dangers of climate change and develop mitigation strategies. However, we remain careful of conservationist politics and their anti-development orientation. The exploration initiatives for natural gas and oil need critical examination but we remain firm that non-invasive techniques  must be used to not endanger the ecosystem and livelihoods of coastal communities including fish-dependent communities.

Issued by SACO Western Cape