SA Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande on Sunday said the party had nothing more publicly to say over comments by his deputy, Jeremy Cronin, on the African National Congress (ANC).
Nzimande was briefing reporters after the party’s first central committee (CC) meeting following its 11th congress held in Rustenburg in July.
The CC is equivalent to the ANC’s national executive committee and is responsible for policy-making in between congresses.
Highlights of the meeting were the election of a new political bureau (Politburo — a standing working committee) and a programme to re-establish a Young Communist’s League by July next year.
Other issues discussed included Cronin, the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the recent financial sector summit.
Reading from a statement, Nzimande, flanked by party chairman Charles Nqakula and party representative Mazibuko Jara, said the CC accepted Cronin’s explanation that there was no intention to have the interviews published in their present form.
”The CC expressed its full confidence in our deputy general secretary, and we consider the issue closed,” Nzimande said.
”There are, of course, many other issues of substance, that have surfaced in the course of this matter relating to organisational challenges, the core principles of our struggle and the handling of difference between and within our organisations. The SACP will be taking these up in the appropriate forums in the coming period.”
Asked what this meant, Nzimande stressed that the SACP had no intention of sweeping anything ”under the table” and would take up some of the comments made during a public spat between the SACP and the ANC before the July congress.
Questioned whether this included discussing offensive comments made about the race and character of Cronin, Nzimande said the SACP was South Africa’s first non-racial party and would continue to defend that tradition.
He pointed out that the ANC was also considered non-racial and that Cronin had apologised in his capacity as a ”disciplined NEC member”.
Nzimande said the CC was pleased to note that the Rustenburg congress was the largest one ever held in the SACP’s 81-year history, and ”it was characterised by a clear insistence from delegates from all over the country to assert more forcefully the SACP’s distinct individuality, programmes and perspectives, but within the context of a strong commitment to an ANC-led alliance”.
He said the CC had reaffirmed that the SACP needed boldly and unapologetically to be a party with and for the workers and the poor.
”In the coming months and from the basis of these perspectives, the SACP will engage energetically and constructively with the ANC policy conference (in September) and national conference (in December) preparations.”
Regarding the recent Financial Sector Summit to address the role of financial institutions in South Africa’s transformation, Nzimande said the event was an important achievement.
”The CC salutes the tens of thousands of South Africans who participated in marches, pickets, rallies and discussion forums. In the coming months the SACP, together with its allies and communist organisations will be taking forward the campaign — ensuring implementation of agreements.”
He said this was important as many summit agreements were not followed through due to a lack of monitoring.
The CC also discussed the SACP’s annual red October programme which would argue for a comprehensive social security system.
”The objectives of the campaign will be to highlight the plight of the retrenched, unemployed, the semi-employed, the young, the elderly, the disabled and, indeed, of all those who are marginalised in our society.
”The campaign will also seek to contribute constructively to the unfolding national debate on social security and poverty alleviation and taking forward government’s campaign to register those who qualify to but are outside the social security net,” Nzimande said.
Turning to the Jo’burg Summit, the CC statement said the party welcomed the summit and took pride in the fact that it was being hosted in South Africa.
”The SACP shares the fundamental perspective underpinning the summit — the future of humanity and our planet depends on sustainable development,” Nzimande said.
”As a communist party we are convinced that the major barriers to sustainable development arise from fundamental characteristics of the system of globalised capitalism. It is widely recognised that the patterns off production and consumption prevailing in the advanced capitalist countries cannot simply be extended throughout the world without destroying the world without destroying the planet’s resource base,” Nzimande emphasised.
”What is more, the fabulous wealth and opulent consumption of a few can only be sustained through the subjection of the majority of the world’s people to exploitation, marginalisation and poverty.”
He said the SACP would be joining it alliance partners in the global march for sustainable development on August 31.
The SACP condemned those who sought to disrupt rather than to engage the summit. Nzimande called such plans ”infantile,” adding that they were counterproductive.
The CC also elected eight members to the party’s Politburo in addition to its five ex officio members.
They were: Yunus Carrim, Rob Davies, Ronnie Kasrils, Ncumisa Kondlo, Willie Madisha, Gwede Mantashe, Ben Martins and Joyce Moloi.
Ex officio members include Nzimande, Nqakula, Cronin, deputy national chairwoman Dipuo Mvelase, and national treasurer Phillip Dexter.
In addition, a number of stalwarts were co-opted. They are Raymond Mhlaba, Brian Bunting, John Nkadimeng, Esther Barsel, Mfengu Makhalima and Kay Moonsamy. – Sapa