Wholesale privatisation of key state-owned assets is no longer the flavour of the year owing to the South African Communist Party having placed this matter in the arena of public debate, the party has argued.
In a statement after its central committee meeting over the weekend, the party — led by former African National Congress (ANC) MP Blade Nzimande — said although this shift had taken place “regrettably,” it had not come soon enough “to prevent terrible damage done to key public assets” like Telkom.
The party, which is in an alliance with the ruling ANC, has grown from 36 357 members in November 2005 to 50 076.
SACP spokesperson Malesela Maleka said in a statement that many of the themes taken up in an SACP discussion document in February this year had become “more and more mainstream”.
“The criticism of the moral ravages of a capitalist system, with deeply entrenched colonial features, on our country, our state and our movement, has now been raised at the highest level.
“The weaknesses and dangers of narrow black economic empowerment (BEE) and other forms of elite empowerment, de-linked from transformation for the majority, are now common cause amongst a wide spectrum of South African public opinion.
“We welcome the impact that the South African Communist Party’s Red October campaigns have had on many fronts.”
“The National Credit Act, passed in Parliament this year, is a direct outcome of our financial sector campaign, as is government’s promise to consider abolishing compound interest on mortgage bonds for low cost housing,” said the statement.
“We also welcome government’s consideration of some kind of amnesty for the indebted poor. In welcoming this, we reiterate the SACP’s clear position — we call for a one-off amnesty.”
It said the National Credit Act, “is a direct outcome of our financial sector campaign, as is government’s promise to consider abolishing compound interest on mortgage bonds for low-cost housing.
“We also welcome government’s consideration of some kind of amnesty for the indebted poor. In welcoming this, we reiterate the SACP’s clear position — we call for a one-off amnesty.” – I-Net Bridge