Eight Eastern Cape SACP leaders have been elected into the party’s national structure.These include Dutywa’s Senzeni Zokwana and Thulas Nxesi who both retained their positions as chairman and deputy chairman respectively.
The other six who will be serving in the 35-member central committee are ANC provincial chairman and premier Phumulo Masualle; education MEC Mandla Makupula; legislature deputy speaker Bulelwa Tunyiswa; Cosatu deputy president Zingisa Losi of Port Elizabeth; ANC MP Fezeka Loliwe; and Lindelwa Dunjwa, an ANC provincial executive committee member and MP.
The new leaders were elected at the party’s 14th national congress in Boksburg at the weekend.
Other senior party leaders from other provinces who were elected into office included general secretary Blade Nzimande of KwaZulu-Natal, who retained the position which he has been serving in for more than 18 years, Solly Mapaila, who replaced Jeremy Cronin as the party’s deputy general secretary after the latter did not avail himself for re-election.
SACP provincial spokesman Siyabonga Mdodi said: “As the party in the Eastern Cape, we wish to congratulate the newly-elected central committee of our dear party under the leadership of comrade Nzimande.
“We wish all comrades from the province all the best in executing their responsibility.”
Other office bearers elected at the conference were Joyce Moropa as treasurer and Chris Mathlako as the second deputy secretary.
Mdodi said the congress “put high responsibility on all of us to deepen, advance and defend the national democratic revolution as the most direct route to socialism”.
The five-day conference resolved to fight state capture and called for the immediate establishment of an independent judicial commission into state capture.
Former protector Thuli Madonsela, in her state of capture report recommended that such a commission be established.
In its conference declaration, the SACP called for the early prosecution of those exposed by the public protector’s report.
The party said the state must cut all business ties with “families and corporations involved in parasitic looting”.
The party also resolved to contest elections against the ANC, despite being in alliance with the ANC and Cosatu.
Nzimande said while the alliance remains strategic, the manner in which it functions was outdated.
“If the modus operandi of the alliance does not change, the alliance will inevitably disintegrate with serious consequences.”
