'Party acts like lobby group'
TOP academic Barney Pityana has taken a swipe at the South African Communist Party, calling it a "lobby group" for power positions in the government.
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"The Communist Party is not communist no political party, but a lobby group to ensure certain individuals are placed in positions of power within government. How can it tell people that all is well, when we all know people still live in poverty," he said.
He also tackled the ANC for neglecting the electorate and said the ruling party had failed to deliver on its promises.
"People need to be served better than they are being served. South Africans need to wake up before it is too late."
The veteran struggle activist was speaking at a civil society conference organised by the Congress of the People (Cope) in East London at the weekend. He urged South Africans to send a message to Parliament that they would not tolerate the ANC's efforts to muzzle democracy by trying to change the Constitution.
"People should understand politics and play an active role in decision making. People should know that politics is not about abuse of power and state resources, but about uplifting people's lives."
He added that citizens needed to be extra vigilant to ensure democracy survived and thrived in the future.
Pityana - a founder member of Black Consciousness Movement - said an open society needed to be further developed, instead of the exact opposite, a secret society.
Pityana told delegates to hold government accountable every day instead of every five years.
"We need to make sure we know what is happening in every nook and cranny of government life."
"(Many) graduates are out of work, not because they do not have skills, but because they do not know someone who knows somebody," he said, to loud applause.
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MommaC
Eish Barney, now you going to get Gwede spitting up all over the place again. You know how the truth sets him offReport Abuse
MorenaWaPolelo
I agree with this fool the communists are bloody fake and greedy they have no place in our country. When will we see this!!!!!Report Abuse
Kone
Joe Slove and Chris Hani are spinning in their graves!........Report Abuse
hulas
Morena if this top academic individual is a fool then uneducated Zuma aka showerman is a....................(fill in the missing word Morena)Report Abuse
thonseriser
It is very disturbing that where wver the oposition meet its only about the ANC, COSATU and SACP. what about their organisation, what are their plans to place SA to the next level, how do thay lobby people to believe on them. Leave the ANC and its Alliance alone and do what is expected in your plan of action. Berney pityanaReport Abuse
Fred55
agreed, the Communist party has at max 100 000 members but they have a huge influence on ANC policy.Communist Party must go it alone and get their own votes. It is undemocratic for them to be involved in ANC when they don't stand at elections-we don't vote for them!
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Mbedzhana
Im soo scared to experience what is happening in Syria because there are enough reasons for that to happen now.Report Abuse
THEmadame2BBBEE
Barney is bored! he messed up Unisa and its lazy students,Report Abuse
ProgressiveAfricanDemocrat
Reverend Pityana is spot on. The SACP is simply a lobby group for positions in the ANC. It really brings very little to the Alliance but the unbridled ambitions of leaders like Blade Nzimande. The SACP is in fact a destabilising force in the ANC since its members do not comply with the ANC's code of conduct. ANC members who do not carry an SACP card are muzzled and lieve in fear of being disciplined and always have to watch their words and steps. SACP members actually and practically belong to Category A, while ANC memebrs have to languisg in Category C, where they are only used as voting cattle and rewarded with bones and crumbs like lapdogs. The SACP is currently free to campaign around the country for a Zuma second term, while ANC memebers are not allowed to discuss their preferences.One should take whatever Nzimande says with a pinch of salt. the thing about Blade is that he is probably South Africa's best kept secret of the country's worst dictator. One only has to look at how he runs the SACP and one will clearly see that he is a dictator in the mode of the Soviet Union's Josef Stalin, China's Mao Tsetung, Ethiopia's Mariam Haile Mengistu, Cambodia's Pol Pot, East Germany's Honecker, Romania's Ceaucescu, Yougoslavia's Slobodan Milosevic and Haiti's Doc Duvalier and "Baby Doc". The only difference is that Blade does not directly have instruments of state power. If Blade ever rises to a position of trust, power and authority as the presidency, this country will descend into anarchy and chaos. One hopes and prays that this dictator does not rise anywhere near the pinnacle of power in South Africa.South Africa, do not say you have not been warned. Those who support Blade today are likely to be his future victims.
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Obeleki
South Africa is a democratic society and every person can belong or form a political party that will best serve their interest. There is no point in the likes of this mampara criticising the ANC at every opportunity. Let him form his own party or at the least become a COPE leader and prove his worth with better ways of governing this country or else he must shut up.Report Abuse
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