SACP warning over alliance

The SA Communist Party is punting a reconfiguration of the ANC-SACP-Cosatu-Sanco alliance – and it seems it will be pursued.

In a report presented to the central committee by SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande, pictured, one of the focus points was the deterioration of the ANC-headed alliance.

SACP spokesperson Alex Mashilo said: “It has not been easy to have a constructive official engagement with the ANC on these issues, although from many quarters of the ANC there are expressions of interest in taking these discussions further.

“While there is interest from our other alliance partners, Cosatu and the SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco), it is clear that there is a better sense of what they see as the way forward that will only become clearer in the new year. However, there is strong support from both for pursuing actively a reconfiguration of the alliance,” Mashilo said.

“The SACP is certainly not alone in believing that the ANC, on its current trajectory, is unable to offer unifying leadership for the alliance or, indeed, to the country.”

The SACP is not supporting a particular slate or presidential candidate, Mashilo said.

The party wanted the ANC to establish an independent judicial commission into state capture, remove “serially incompetent ministers” and prosecute “all those exposed in the Gupta e-mail and parliamentary hearings”.

The SACP also called for a fullscale inquiry into Naspers and MultiChoice. “The SACP has for some years been calling for a fullscale inquiry into the corruption surrounding government’s decision to change its set-top box (STB) policy to remove encryption to solely benefit Multi-Choice,” Mashilo said.

“We note Naspers’ Koos Bekker’s high-handed dismissal today of the set-box matter as a marginal issue. Of course, he would. The failure to move to encryption entrenches the absolute domination of our media sector by the Naspers-MultiChoice monopoly born in the apartheid-era.” – Citizen reporter

SACP is not alone in believing that the ANC is unable to offer unifying leadership for the alliance. Alex Mashilo SACP spokesperson