SACP Western Cape Provincial Working Committee statement on the Western Cape government’s response to Covid-19

23 April 2020

The outbreak of Covid-19 and subsequent lockdown imposed new social, economic and health realities and further exposed the underlying class disparities across the landscape of the Western Cape Province. For the Vanguard Party of the working class, the South African Communist Party (SACP), these new conditions carry particular challenges, tasks and new responsibilities. Principally, this period requires maximum vigilance to protect the most vulnerable section of our society. It is for this reason that the SACP in the Western Cape convened a virtual Provincial Working Committee (PWC) meeting, augmented to District Secretaries, the Young Communist League of South Africa and public representatives on 22 April 2020.

In light of the increasing number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the province (now standing at 1, 068 with 22 deaths), ongoing monitoring, assessment and analysis of the full spectrum of measures to contain the virus as well as the socio-economic and security impact of the lockdown is critical. Accordingly, the Augmented PWC reflected on the prevailing experiences on the ground on various fronts. Further, the meeting defined the new tasks and new responsibilities for every communist and SACP structures for the post lockdown and the Covid-19 situation.

Do not use the COVID-19 as a convenient excuse to launch an offensive on homeless people

As the SACP, we are extremely concerned about the approach of the provincial government in general and the City of Cape Town in relation to temporary Covid-19 sites, in particular, Strandfontein camp which is home to about 1, 500 people. There is a high risk that the camp might be a hotbed for the spread of the virus without possible detection. In addition, the SACP is perturbed by the insensitive and illogical imposition of fines on homeless and unemployed people by the DA-led City of Cape Town.

Aggressively enforce compliance both in communities and workplaces

The current statistics, specifically on the infections and fatalities, are extremely worrying and the non-compliance with the lockdown regulations by both companies and some residents is inexcusably senseless and reckless. In some communities, people treat this lockdown as a holiday. Worse still, certain companies and retail stores continue to operate without taking precautionary preventative measures even where positive cases are recorded. This must be punishable by law! Nevertheless, these circumstances require aggressive enforcement by all agencies of government such as soldiers, police and labour inspectors.

No to politicisation of COVID-19 related food parcel distribution – Serve the people selflessly

It has become clear that the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has massive capacity constraints in terms of distribution of food parcels which leads to increasing levels of desperation in the poorest communities. Further, the food parcels provided by municipalities are plagued by controversies of corruption and have also been hijacked for political and factional interests. Therefore, those involved in these despicable activities must be exposed and dealt with decisively. Nevertheless, the NGOs and those patriotic businesspeople who continue to provide the much-needed foodstuffs must be commended and adequately supported.

National Coronavirus Command Council must intervene in the Western Cape before it is too late

We have entered unchartered waters and the scale of the virus is unimaginable. This requires extraordinary steps to overcome. If drastic steps are not taken urgently, the Western Cape Province will soon become the epicentre of the virus. It is for this reason that we urge the government to improve enforcement. We also support the plans to deconcentrate overpopulated areas. We also urge the National Coronavirus Command Council to pay close attention to the Western Cape to prevent the explosion of the ticking time bomb.

Do not use COVID-19 as convenient excuse to retrenchment workers

Lastly, we urge the government to ensure, through National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) that companies do not use Covid-19 as a convenient excuse to embark on neoliberal restructuring of workplaces through retrenchments and lay-offs in the aftermath of the lockdown and Covid-19 situation. The levels of unemployment and resultant poverty and inequality are already exceedingly high. Therefore, employers must join a national effort to place the economy on a sustainable and inclusive job-creation economic trajectory.

Issued by Benson Ngqentsu, SACP Provincial Secretary, 23 April 2020