‘ANC RADICALISM A SHAM’
SACP blasts gall of ruling party
GROWING recklessness, a disdain for collective decision-making and for democratically elected structures are increasingly evident in the ANC, the SA Communist Party said yesterday.
“Policy shifts with a radical sounding air are being announced randomly.
“Existing and deeper looming crises in the water sector, or in revenue collection, or in the payment of social grants are left unattended for apparently factional reasons, while ministers performing patriotic services in extremely difficult circumstances become the targets for sustained and factionally-orchestrated undermining,” general secretary Blade Nzimande said at a media briefing after a meeting of the central committee.
The ANC – and in particular President Jacob Zuma – have resuscitated the call for a “radical economic transformation”, with Zuma’s backers blaming Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and treasury for the failure by the ANC-led government to effect such a transformation of the economy.
The SACP said the Gupta family “lurks in the background” in these factional statements.
“While the Gupta family clearly lurks in the background in many cases, there has been an attempt to downplay links in this direction and adopt a more radical sounding, Africanist posture,” Nzimande said.
The SACP said it supported the call for a second radical phase of the national democratic revolution to address the “core crises confronting the majority of South
The Gupta family clearly lurks in the background in many cases
Africans – unemployment, poverty and inequality”.
“Unfortunately, [the call for] ‘radical’ [transformation] in these quarters is largely rhetorical and is almost entirely focused on advancing narrow black elite accumulation. This narrow version of BEE evokes ‘blacks in general, and Africans in particular’, but in effect, it’s about ‘me and mine specifically’.”
However, the SACP said it will avoid a preoccupation with such politics, but would still speak out against factionalism, state looting or theft of funds.
Nzimande said the party would focus on “concrete” programmes of action to strengthen its links with the working class or the poor. This included the party’s financial sector campaign.
He said they would seek to combat “opportunism” such as the criticising of banks for allegedly colluding in currency trading.
“A great deal of noise is heard from factions about collusion in foreign currency trading among 17 local and international banks. As the SACP, we agree that this kind of behaviour needs to be criminalised and the individuals involved should get jail time.
“However, those calling for the recapitalisation of the Post Bank have been silent on the forces and corruption that crippled it, and the SACP will combat such ‘narrow black accumulation’.”
The SACP will support legislative efforts to tighten the regulation of banks and the prevention of illicit capital flows.
They hoped a forthcoming National Economic Development and Labour Council financial summit would result in more recommitment from the financial sector to previously unmet commitments on issues such as social housing, as well as a debt amnesty, said Nzimande.
The SACP refused to be drawn on widespread speculation of a cabinet reshuffle. But in reference to the former Eskom chief executive Brian Molefe’s recent appointment as an ANC MP, they said while this was an ANC decision, there could not be an automatic expectation that the SACP would close ranks automatically.