The provincial executive committee (PEC) of the South African Communist Party (SACP) in KwaZulu-Natal has rejected the decision to disband it, of which it was informed last week.
The PEC insists it is still in charge and does not recognise the task team led by Sikhumbuzo Mdlalose, announced on Saturday by the SACP central committee.
This is contained in a statement issued by Themba Mthembu, who stills regards himself as the provincial secretary of the SACP.
“The PEC in Moses Mabhida (as the KwaZulu-Natal province of the party is known) is challenging the statements purportedly issued from head office suggesting that the PEC has been disbanded. We wish to categorically state, in line with the party constitution, that the current PEC remains the only democratically elected, legitimate and recognised leadership structure in the province.
“We are equally shocked by reports of an alleged appointed interim leadership core, which has not been discussed, processed or endorsed by any constitutional structure of the SACP, whether at provincial level, the PB (politburo) or the CC (central committee),” reads the statement issued on Tuesday, and signed off by Mthembu.
The statement added that the supposedly suspended PEC was pleased that some of the members who have been roped in to serve in the interim structure had resigned.
Among them is Nomalungelo Gina, the deputy minister of science and technology who is serving under cabinet minister Professor Blade Nzimande, who is the national chairperson of the SACP.
“We welcome the increasing number of comrades who have since withdrawn their names from this purported structure, having not been consulted, and whose names were therefore used without [their] consent.
“We view this as a desperate and divisive attempt to manufacture parallel structures, sow disunity and weaken the province. The memorandum submitted by the Moses Mabhida province calls for constructive engagement, not disbandment, nor the targeting of the province or specific individuals.”
The disbanded structure also said it welcomes Nzimande’s paper titled “Rescuing the revolution and reaffirming the SACP’s historical mission: A call for a special congress” and other papers on the matter.
It said Nzimande’s document is a critical intervention and a necessary platform to address a number of strategic, ideological, organisational and political questions facing the party.
However, it lamented that Nzimande has since been subjected to attacks that are laced with tribal undertones.
“The PEC has further noted the recent coordinated flurry of public statements – including some laced with ethnic undertones, which are anathema to Marxism-Leninism and the non-racial, internationalist foundations of our movement – attacking Cde Blade Nzimande.
“Disturbingly, this factionalist posture has been allowed to fester within the organisation, including public articles by party leaders accusing the national chairperson of tribalism, as well as other unbecoming attacks, issued under the watch of the general secretary without any defence of the leadership collective.”
