A sculpture of Comrade Hugo Chavez presented to the SACP. #SACPCongress2022

Johannesburg, July 17 (RHC)-- The Communist Party of South Africa (SACP) held its 15th political congress in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, this week.  Among its priorities was to debate the direction of Africa's most industrialized economy for the next five years.

The congress took place amidst songs and dances that allude to a historical-social-cultural-spiritual current of struggles of leaders such as Mandela, Desmond Tuto, Moses Kotani, Cris Hani, Joe Slovo, Walter Sisulu, Ruth First, Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro and many others who have resisted and confronted colonial imperialism throughout the centuries.

In her address, the Central Union of South African Workers (COSATU) president Zingiswa Losi said that the SACP must refrain from turning socialism into a mirage that keeps on being postponed.   

Losi stated that COSATU needs help to cleanse the African National Congress (ANC) of what she called “demons of factionalism and corruption.”  She added that alliance partners must stop mobilizing in defense of criminals who steal from the poor.

The South African leader Moses Kotane, ex-Secretary General of the South African Communist Party, received well-deserved recognition, which was also received by the Eternal Commander Hugo Chávez.

Kotane raised the importance of Africanizing Marxism, that is to say, adapting the essence of the proletarian struggle, the European Paris Commune to inspire and strengthen the ancestral experience of struggle of the African peoples.

Representatives from Venezuela and Cuba were also present at the congress.  On behalf of Venezuela, the Chief of delegation for Venezuela, Jesus Faria, presented a message of solidarity and also presented a small figure of former president Hugo Chavez in the last political meeting, as a token of solidarity to the SACP.

The current secretary general of the Communist Party and Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, strongly questioned the neoliberal financialized economy that opposes the cooperative and communal economy in favor of the workers and the impoverished population.

Nzimande proposed lines for developing a national economy disassociated from the dictates of the neoliberal capitalist economy that operates like a casino that submits life to the logic of profit and the market.

South Africa's stock market casino policy, inequalities, corruption and the financial oligarchy that controls the country's economy were questioned.  "Our democracy is being sold out by an oligarchy that controls the economy," said Nzimande.

ANC President and President of that nation, Cyril Ramaphosa, also addressed the SACP 15th National Congress.  The congress stated that the goal of all progressive forces is to put people before profit, the environment before private accumulation, and put international solidarity before deepening inequality and imperial militarism.

SACP Resolution on Venezuela

The SACP will be publishing a resolution in support of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela that notes key issues about sovereignty, political determination, and looting of Venezuelan resources by western powers.

The recognition of Venezuela's successful Parliamentary elections of 2018 and 2020, and the Local Government elections of 2021.  SACP also states that it will work with Alliance partners as well as progressive parties towards an emergency conference in South Africa and other SADC countries in support of the democratically elected, progressive governments of Venezuela and other Latin American countries.

The SACP condemns the unjust and illegal blockade on Venezuela and its people that including punitive sanctions, travel bans, and other measures.

"We condemn the financial, diplomatic, economic, and political persecution, sabotage, and sanction by the USA against Venezuela and undertake to increase our efforts to expose such tactics with the ultimate aim to end such measures.  We not only condemn these measures imposed by the USA and its lackeys but we also recommit ourselves to work with our comrades and partners in Venezuela to find creative ways to overcome these obstacles," stated the SACP.

Furthermore, the SACP calls for an end to all U.S.-imposed sanctions against Venezuela, and in particular, we call for an end to the blocking of Venezuela's access to the SWIFT system.  We call for the return of the Gold seized by the UK as well as all other companies and resources that have been illegally expropriated at the cost of the working class people of Venezuela.

The SACP also alluded to the project of socialism in Latin America, as they view the fact that a socialist-aligned government is overcoming the attacks by the capitalist United States.

Concerning the undermining of the voice of the Venezuelan people and other Latin American countries, the SACP declares that it will "work for a correct narrative of political developments in Venezuela and promote the sourcing of TeleSUR news and other such progressive news outlets for content for local media.

The Communist Party of South Africa is part of the South African government coalition together with the African National Congress (ANC) and the Central Union of South African Workers (COSATU).

South Africa has an essential capacity for geopolitical irradiation on the African continent and in the global South.  It is a member of the BRICS geo-economic alliance.

At present, South Africa is confronted with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that left more than 100 thousand dead, among other zoonotic diseases, and amid a prolonged stagnation of the economy, aggravated by the increase in energy and food prices.

In Africa, 50% of the economically active population is unemployed.  There are still 14 countries with a vaccination rate below 10% which has been denounced as "vaccine apartheid" because rich countries have overbought vaccines far over the population these countries need to immunize.