The victory in the general elections was not a ”blank cheque” given to the African National Congress-led alliance to rule for another five years, the South African Communist Party (SACP) said on Friday.
”In celebrating our overwhelming election victory, we would be making a big mistake if we thought that the workers and poor of our country had given the ANC-alliance a blank cheque to rule for another five years,” the alliance partner said in a statement on Workers’ Day.
”Over 65% of SA’s electorate have voted to defend their organisation and to defend their gains. But our mass base is also telling us that we must address with determination and discipline many issues,” it said.
Among these was corruption which the party described as a ”scourge”, as the ”route through which the bourgeoisie hijacks” the revolution and ”undermines transformation”.
The ANC’s success, the SACP said, was due to it reliance on the masses. However, during its third term governing the country, the SACP said it had noted increasing signs of ”deterioration, careerism, factionalism, aloofness, technocratic arrogance and denialism”.
There were also attempts to marginalise alliance partners and weaken the ANC’s branch activism. The party’s 52nd national conference, at which Jacob Zuma was elected party president, was the beginning of the ”renewal” of the organisation.
”The election is over, but the struggle continues. Let us sustain the spirit of volunteerism that we have built through mobilisation in the election campaign,” the SACP said.
”Let us transform our election machinery into street committees, worker locals, land committees, community policing forums, health committees,
school governing bodies, in short, let us now re-double our efforts at building organs of popular power.”
The ANC-led alliance was also committed to building a non-racial South Africa.
”Just as corruption creates a space for the capitalist class to hijack our revolution — so minority fears and ethnic mobilisation also creates an electoral space for the neo-liberal agenda,” it said.
Trade unions also had a responsibility to assist with nation building as places of employment brings together people of different races and backgrounds.
”We call on the working class to close ranks, to unite, to drive forward our non-racial, democratic revolution.”
South Africa should prevent job losses brought about by the global financial crisis through expanding the ”buy local” campaign.
”Tendering policies from government departments and from parastatals must now put much greater emphasis on job creation. The same with BEE
[black economic empowerment] score-cards, the priority must be job creation potential.
”We must stop importing goods and components that we can manufacture here.”
Labour brokers should be ”toughly regulated”, it said. – Sapa