Political divisions in the SACP have exploded to the extent that a central committee member has described last weekend’s central committee meeting as a kangaroo court in which he was racially abused.
The Mail & Guardian has obtained written correspondence between party leaders in which Gauteng provincial secretary Vishwas Satgar said he was ”politically murdered” and that the race card was played against him during a fierce debate in which he was reminded that he is ”not even African”.
”The killer blow was the race card. It shattered me. This is what broke me down. This is what brought me to tears [besides being overworked and mentally exhausted]. This brought about my humiliation, this put me in my place, cut me down to size, nailed me,” wrote Satgar.
Satgar has been at the centre of a battle between the SACP’s national and Gauteng offices. The Gauteng office took the unusual step of giving President Thabo Mbeki a special gift at a function in October, just weeks after Mbeki had accused SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande of being ”extraordinarily arrogant”.
It was believed at the time that Nzimande viewed the award-giving as an attempt to embarrass him. The gift was a compromise after the head office said the Gauteng branch could give Mbeki the gift, but not award him the party’s highest honour, the Chris Hani Special Award.
In an email to Nzimande, which was copied to Young Communist League national secretary Buti Manamela and national organiser Solly Maphaila, Satgar sarcastically wrote that they had ”won” the party. ”Your victory is complete. I am not planning a guerrilla war or plotting to settle scores et cetera … You and all those around you have won. You’re the most politically savvy, intellectually advanced and of course powerful in the SACP. In my defeat I accept all of this. I accept my defeat and this ‘war’ is over for me.”
But he then added: ”I would like you to know that you and all those loyal to you are not the SACP. For what its worth, we are all the SACP.”
A central committee member who attended last week’s meeting confirmed that Satgar had been brutally attacked. ”The criticism was raining from everywhere. But the racial attack was unnecessary. It’s in fact uncommunist. There is too much emphasis on individuals, which is distracting us from our work as communists.”
The SACP has been deeply divided over how to treat Jacob Zuma, with Nzimande and Manamela portrayed as overzealous in their expression of support for him. Satgar and deputy Young Communist League secretary Mazibuko Jara are believed to be critical of Nzimande and Manamela. Jara was this month suspended by the league for reasons the youth structure is not willing to disclose.
In correspondence with Nzimande, Satgar said Nzimande had failed to convince the central committee of his conspiracy claims about Zuma. ”More importantly, you have not won over the CC to the idea of providing material support to Jacob Zuma.”
The SACP says those who leaked the internal communication are trying to create the impression that there are divisions in the party when there are none.
”Our position on JZ is well known. We support him as far as the trampling of his rights is concerned. And these are central committee decisions, not the general secretary’s personal issues. So the GS does not have to convince anyone. His role is to implement CC decisions,” said party spokesperson Malesela Maleka.
Maleka said there appeared to be a strategic plan by people he did not name to put Nzimande on the back foot. ”They are trying to create the sense that there is a revolt against the general secretary and isolate him from the party.” Maleka could not comment on the racial slur against Satgar, but said the party was committed to non-racialism.
Some SACP leaders believe the pressure on Nzimande comes from ANC leaders close to Mbeki who are worried about Nzimande’s public support for Zuma.
The M&G could not obtain comment from Satgar, who is overseas. Satgar has indicated that he is not going to stand again for his post at the provincial conference in March next year.
Was Jara suspended for speaking his mind?
”The Zumafication of the SACP is creating undesirable divisions and tension, and undermining pluralism in the party,” suspended deputy secretary of the Young Communist League Mazibuko Jara (right) declared this week.
Jara was suspended last weekend at a league central working committee meeting, where its Gauteng provincial executive committee was also disbanded.
No official reason was given for Jara’s suspension, which national spokesperson Castro Ngobese said was an internal matter. However, Jara said the league’s national executive committee did not want to debate vital issues raised by the Gauteng region, including the league’s backing of Zuma.
He said his suspension closed ”an opportunity for debate”. ”In the league we should have space to discuss issues such as the impact we have had in the [Jacob] Zuma matter,” he said.
League leadership has justified the decision to disband the Gauteng region by saying it failed the minimum requirement of three districts and 40 branches.
However, Jara emphasised that other league regions, including the North West, Mpumalanga and the Free State, suffered from an even lower number of active districts and branches.
The league’s Northern Cape secretary, Kabelo Mohibidu, countered that it was common for structures to be disbanded if they failed to meet party requirements.
”We were also disbanded in 2004, but we did not complain because we understood our situation. The decision taken against Gauteng is both political and organisational. People are entitled to their views about the reasons behind the decision,” said Mohibidu. — Monako Dibetle