JOINT STATEMENT OF SACP AND COSATU IN KWAZULU NATAL
2 SEPTEMBER 2012
The SACP and COSATU in the province of Kwazulu Natal held bilateral talks to look at the current developments in the country and in the organizations constituting the Alliance. This was the first bilateral since Cosatu elected its new leadership at the beginning of July and after a highly successful national congress of the SACP hosted here in Kwazulu Natal also in July 2012.
The main concerns of the talks were the challenges facing the eighteen years old government of South Africa lead by the African National Congress. The meeting identified three main challenges facing the ANC lead government namely one, the renewed imperialist aggression directed at the government, the ANC and its Alliance and their leadership in particular, two the capitalist crisis impacting negatively on the socio-economic situation in the country and three the crisis of inequality, poverty and unemployment as a result of over three hundred years of colonization of a special type.
The meeting concluded that there is a renewed imperialist aggression directed at the Zuma lead ANC and Government. This aggression comes in a form of attempts to recolonise this country in another form so to continue to serve the interest of the imperialist countries. The first price will be to win over the ANC come Mangaung by pushing their puppet leaders to emerge in the next congress.
The meeting therefore strongly agrees that when the structures of the ANC go to Mangaung they must know that they go there to prevent appropriation of the ANC by the imperialist hence defending recolonisation of our country. Defending recolonisation of the country needs every patriot, SACP and COSATU included. The relentless attack on the Government, the ANC and its Alliance partners should be located in this context of the imperialist onslaught. Leading in this onslaught is the imperialist aligned media, the opposition and some elements of the so called civil society.
A dangerous development is the peddling of tribalism in fermenting conflicts and factionalism in this external agitation of leadership contestation. A good example is what was shouted by the ANCYL in Limpopo. During their march recently in that province. The recent painting of a portrait of our President confirms beyond our fears that besides racism the demon of tribalism is also being added in this concerted effort to attack the Zuma lead government and this portrait emerged immediately after some triballistic display of posters in Marikana shootings demonstrations.
These developments are happening during the celebrations of hundred years of the struggle of the ANC against racism and the demon of tribalism. Surely this is not the way to heed to the clarion call of Pixley ka Seme, Sol Plaatjie and John Langalibalele Dube that say Mzulu, Mxhosa, Msuthu, Mthonga hlanganani. Another sad part is that the attack on the government and the ruling Party is seen as spitting on all efforts on reconciliation here South Africa. The meeting urged the government to take meaningful steps to protect the office of the President. We further call for a stop in harassment of the family of Cde Jacob Zuma as is done by displaying in the media his naked body. This is taken as violence against the wives and children of the President.
The meeting welcomed the Minister of Police on the appointment of the National Task Team to investigate political murders in Kwazulu Natal. We also welcome the progress made thus far in the murder of Cde Windile Mkhize. But we must say we are very skeptical by the work of the police on the progress made thus far on the murders of Cde Mshibe and Cde Sbu Sibiya. There was massive media frenzy by the police in that there were imminent arrest of powerful figures which has not seen the light. We are becoming more suspicious on hearing some of the charges laid against the Cato Manor unit.
We are calling on the National Task team to take over the further investigation of these murders including the conducts of the police in the initial investigations. We also welcome the breakthrough made by the government in arresting the Cato Manor Unit. This shows the effort and commitment of this government in ridding itself of rotten and corrupt element in the police force. But a question that needs to be answered is how it happened that a unit consisting of largely former apartheid police was formed and let to run what is seen as a reign of terror for such a long time?
SACP and COSATU welcome the reports on the dropping of charges against ANC leaders Cdes Peggy Nkonyeni and Mike Mabuyakhulu. We were always disturbed by this arrest and had belief that it carried political linings. We are going to write to the NPA to open an investigation on the conduct of its unit here in KZN on the handling of this case since person like Cde Peggy Nkonyeni is the second time that she is subjected into such humiliation by the NPA and the Hawks. The SACP in KZN had already raised its concerns and disapproval on the conduct of the suspended head of
NPA in handling this case, therefore not surprised by the action of the NPA and the new acting Head in the province in dropping the charges.
The meeting also spoke about the forthcoming Cosatu Congress and the development that are currently taking place. The meeting agreed that the decision on the leadership of Cosatu will be the decision of the affiliate of Cosatu. The attack on Cosatu was noted and taken as the broader agenda by the capital and the DA to destabilize Cosatu. The agitation of conflict and unrest in the mines is not only directed at NUM but to Cosatu as a whole. If there is anyone who must be condemned for the killing of people in Marikana, it is the capital and their representatives the mine bosses.
The killings of mineworkers in South Africa are as old as the history of mines in South Africa. The violent clashes between the mineworkers and the mine bosses are an international norm and a characteristic feature of the mining industry. This is what the Zuma Government inherited. The meeting welcomes the Judicial Commission of enquiry to investigate the incident of Marikana. May be it will be wise to extend this inquiry to the entire platinum mines in the North West in the light of what happened in Impala Platinum Mines. The meeting agreed on the joint programme on defending NUM and COSATU against this attacks.
The meeting showed its discontent on the continued reports of instability in the administration of Ethekwini Municipality. The recent demonstrations by Metro Police are signs that attention needs to be paid in improving the situation of administration in this important and strategic city of the province and the country as a whole. The tensions in the metro police and reports of serious acts of corruption that has gone on for a long periods warrant a call for the commission of enquiry into the Ethekwini Metro Police. This now need to be done as a matter of urgency.
However we welcome the announcement made by the Mayor of Ethekwini Cde James Nxumalo that all temporary workers including those in the metro police are to be made permanent employees. There may also be a need to investigate the massive under spending by the city council in this last financial year. Under spending in poverty stricken city like Ethekwini is completely unacceptable and inhumane.
The spat between the former Municipality Manager Mike Sutcliffe, the stalling of the western aqua duct project and the recent reports of the out of court settlement between Ethekwini Metro and the Mpisane is a cause for concern. The SACP and COSATU will call upon the ANC to paid more attention in the running of Ethekwini. The meeting also raised dissatisfaction on the report of the Auditor General on Municipality. It is absolutely not acceptable that out of more than 50 municipalitities only five received clean audit.
Lastly, as SACP and COSATU we voiced our concern on the deterioration in the transformation of the judiciary in Kwazulu Natal. We therefore appeal to the JSC to strongly consider the demographics in considering the leadership of the Judges in the province. While we do not have a problem with the current Judge President of Kwazulu Natal but the sidelining of Justice Madondo due to narrow perception is abhorring.
Statement issued by SACP KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Secretary Themba Mthembu and COSATU Provincial Secretary Zet Luzipo, September 3 2012
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