Unity essential to ensure Gauteng doesn't fall into hands of neo-liberal forces‚ says SACP

The unity of the ruling ANC alliance is essential to ensure that local government in the country’s economic hub does not fall into the hands of neo-liberal forces bent on preserving “apartheid-era privileges and segregations”‚ the South African Communist Party says.

 The party was speaking after its central committee’s regular quarterly meeting in Johannesburg over the weekend.

The central committee reaffirmed the SACP’s commitment to ensuring an overwhelming ANC-led alliance electoral victory in the August 3 local government elections.

It also congratulated the ANC in Gauteng on “mobilising a massive 80‚000-plus electoral rally in Johannesburg on Saturday in the face of many doubters and nay-sayers”.

 “The rally turnout did not emerge from thin air. It is testament to the consistent commitment of the ANC-led government in the Gauteng province to engage actively with township protests‚ to listen to the grievances and challenges facing working class communities‚ and‚ together with these communities‚ to seek collective solutions.

 “It is also testament to the effective ANC‚ SACP‚ COSATU and SANCO working unity that has been a hall-mark of the province over the recent past‚” the SACP said.

“The unity of our alliance is essential for ensuring that local‚ metro governance in the economic hub of South Africa does not fall into the hands of neo-liberal forces bent on preserving apartheid-era privileges and segregations‚ now under the guise of giving free rein to property speculation and unrestrained market forces‚” it added.

 “The ANC‚ together with its Allies‚ must also use the post-election period to address the many challenges thrown up in the run up to the elections

“In the course of the election campaign we should not be in denial about the many challenges facing workers‚ the urban and rural poor‚ and a broad spectrum of middle strata‚ professionals‚ students and the youth in general‚” the SACP central committee stated.

 It added that public opinion surveys consistently underlined that the two greatest concerns advanced by the majority of South Africans were the unemployment crisis and corruption.

“While our persisting crisis-levels of unemployment have many systemic underpinnings‚ there can be no doubt that corrupt rent-seeking by a parasitic bourgeoisie and its political associates diverts billions of rands out of the productive economy‚ thus contributing to persisting unemployment‚ racial inequality and poverty.”