SA Communist Party (SACP): 'South Africa needs new path'

Wed, 28 Apr 2010


http://business.iafrica.com/news/2381770.htm


Capitalism remains a challenge in South Africa and the needs of humanity are yet to be met, the SA Communist Party (SACP) said on Monday evening, ahead of Tuesday's Freedom Day celebrations.

"Millions of our people remain homeless and have little to celebrate with us," said spokesman Malesela Maleka.

"The challenges of capitalism and its inherent inability to meet the needs of humanity has continued to present us with a huge challenge."

He said although significant progress had been made, it was not enough.

The education sector, he said, continued to reproduce significant racial and class discrimination, while the health system showed major weakness with the slow implementation of the National Health Insurance.

He said these were "clear signs" and something needed to be done to give democracy meaning.

"We need to place our society onto a different developmental path, one in which meeting social needs is the priority and not profit-driven growth," said Maleka.

"We have built a constitutional order of which we are rightfully proud, but a great majority of South Africans are unable to fully enjoy the rights enshrined in the Bill of Rights."

He said this was not a moment to despair, but a moment for national reflection on the challenge of nation building.

"It is a moment to deepen our resolve to build working class power and people's fronts in the areas of education, health, in building vibrant and strong participatory governance at a local level, in transforming the workplace and fostering a decent jobs agenda, building sustainable livelihoods and fighting crime and corruption."

He said Freedom Day marked an important day in the struggle calender because of a democratic breakthrough.

However, the election did not mark an end to the national democratic and class struggle, but a struggle on a different terrain, said Maleka.

The party urged South Africans to remember struggle heroes like Chris Hani, Yusuf Dadoo, Harry Gwala, Oliver Tambo and Moses Mabhida.