I CHALLENGE members of the South African Communist Party who are serving in various spheres of our government to resign and dedicate their time to building their party.

I CHALLENGE members of the South African Communist Party who are serving in various spheres of our government to resign and dedicate their time to building their party.

They should take a leaf from the late Chris Hani, who resigned from all positions he held in the ANC to take over as the SACP's general secretary.

Most of today's communists can't accept the challenge because they are more obsessed with government jobs than anything else.

Others even campaign in shebeens and pay for membership cards for the targeted group. Why can't they stand for ANC-led government positions as members of the ANC? Why must they enjoy an unfair advantage over members of the ANC?

If they are that strong why don't they come up with a unique party programme of action? Why don't they contest elections as an independent party?

Have we ever seconded members to be elected at their conferences? Have we ever striven to influence the direction they should take?

Party members are not active in their own right within the movement. Some contested positions and failed to make the grade and are using the party to gain what they failed to gain as pure ANC members.

Are they not being opportunists? Looking closer at former president Thabo Mbeki's cabinet and advisers, most were communists.

Who in their right minds can turn around and say relations in the Mbeki era were at an all-time low? I beg to differ with them - Jeff Radebe, Mbhazima Shilowa, Ronnie Kasrils, just to mention a few - had been in the driving seat for far too long.

It's either the communists resign from government posts or keep their mouths shut on matters related to the ANC and concentrate on building the former vanguard party.

Moses Manake, Dobsonville Gardens