The disbanded SACP leadership in KwaZulu-Natal has accused the national leadership of destroying the party.
The move comes after the KZN leadership rejected the decision to disband the provincial structure and the manner in which it is carrying out the resolution that the SACP must contest for power.
The disbanded leadership is set to ventilate its view in a public statement today.
So intense is the revolt against the national leadership that party leaders who were part of the disbanded structure have refused to be drafted into the interim structure appointed to lead the province, arguing they were not consulted.
The divisions within the party were laid bare on Saturday as the national leadership had called a branch meeting in Durban to brief members on the decision taken.
In a statement, it said it convened a Special Provincial Council in the Moses Mabhida province of the SACP (KwaZulu-Natal) as a consequence of the recent decisions of the Political Bureau of the SACP relating to the strengthening of the SACP as an organisation and the implementation of its decisions.
“Having discussed extensively the state of the SACP, looking at the strengths and weaknesses of various structures and leadership structures of the Party, the Political Bureau decided, among other measures, to disband the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) of the SACP in Moses Mabhida as one of the measures to revitalise the organisation.
“The Council was called, consequently, to brief our members on a leadership core appointed to lead the province as an interim intervention in the absence of a PEC. It added that the Special Provincial Council was, however, disrupted by certain individuals who clearly do not share the principles of loyalty to party decisions, unity of the party, and the full implementation of party decisions.
“These forces are part of a reactionary and opportunistic tendency rooted in careerism that the movement continues to address, and indeed the SACP is not unaffected by this tendency. Out of concern for the safety of party members and public property, the leadership of the party determined that the council must not proceed as planned and that the communication of the political bureau decisions intended to be communicated should be conducted through alternative means.”
A provincial leader, Themba Mthembu, who was part of the disbanded structure, said they do not support what the national leadership has done.
“We do not support the national departments’ actions, and we believe that this will kill the party and destroy the partnership with the alliance. We will issue a full statement on this matter, but what we can say at the moment is that we do not support this,” Mthembu said. He said while the party has a resolution to contest the elections, they do not want this to be done in a manner that is hostile to the ANC.
The Mercury has seen a letter written shortly after the list of the interim structure was announced, in which a member, Nomalungelo Gina, distanced herself from the nomination, arguing that she had not been consulted regarding her appointment as an additional member.
The letter stated, “Late evening on Saturday, I was alerted through a statement issued that I have been included in the newly appointed Provincial Interim Leadership Committee of KwaZulu-Natal following the dissolution of the provincial executive committee, of which I was a deputy chairperson.
“I want to place it on record that nobody consulted or engaged me on my availability to serve in the PILC and I have not received any courtesy call about this decision…In this regard, I want to firmly withdraw from the Provincial Interim Leadership Committee as announced in good spirit.”
An SACP member who attended the meeting said they are aware of the letters. “The letter should be viewed in the context of what she is doing currently; it will then make sense,” said the member, implying that the fact Gina is currently an MP, representing the ANC could have played a part in that letter.
Cultural and political analyst Musa Xulu said the crisis of the SACP, especially in KZN, is self-made. “It must be remembered that the SACP’s decision to contest elections as a standalone political party has been seen by some as an attempt by factions within the SACP to weaken the ANC.
“The SACP standing alone carries no electoral capital. On its own, the SACP cannot be a political threat to anyone. Political theories, which are their strengths, often differ from political electoral practicalities, which are the strength of the ANC,” he said.
The national SACP said the interim structure in KZN replaces the disbanded provincial executive committee.
“The party will engage with Cde Nomalungelo about her reaction to her appointment. That engagement will be treated as an internal discussion between comrades of the organisation. Any other claims made by any other member or former member of the party or its leadership in the province is not a matter that the SACP concerns itself with at this stage because the focus of the party is rebuilding the structures and implementing our programme.”
THE MERCURY
