SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila on Monday said President Cyril Ramaphosa‘s Cabinet was largely a consequence and reflection of the shifting balance of forces stemming from the May 29 election results.
Addressing the media on Monday after the party’s central committee’s plenary, Mapaila said the Cabinet drew positive and negative reactions from Government of National Unity (GNU) political parties.
“The composition of the Cabinet and deputy ministers also reflects a compromise, a function of the balance of forces not favourable to the working class,” he said.
Mapaila confirmed that there were consultations in the alliance over the GNU, but the consultations did not mean agreement on everything.
“Now what is important is for the government to serve the people, with the working class as the majority.”
He also said the elections took place amid myriad interacting national and international contradictions.
“Dominant sections of capital, both domestic and foreign controlled, actively entered the political terrain with the goal of removing the ANC from power by uniting right-wing parties into a single force through a pact or charter, and by propping up these and popcorn parties to form part of the imperialist-backed anti-ANC regime change agenda.”
Mapaila said misinformation and fake news fuelled the propaganda that the ANC-led government did nothing for the people over the last 30 years of democratic dispensation.
“Media manipulation offered this propaganda an uncritical reception, showering it with extensive coverage,” he said, adding that disunity within the ANC contributed to its decline.
Mapaila said the SACP proposed an ANC-led minority government with the features of a GNU, but the ANC wanted a GNU with the features of a minority government.
“The SACP outrightly rejected a coalition with the DA or the MKP, maintaining strategic consistency against the counter-revolutionary neo-liberal and state capture agendas.
“The DA sought to fabricate veto power for itself in pursuit of a grand coalition with the ANC, involving the IFP under the guise of the so-called ‘sufficient consensus’.”
He said the increased number of political parties that came forward to participate in the ANC-led GNU contributed to rendering the DA ineffectual.
“The working class should not allow the inclusive composition of the Government of National Unity to serve as an entry point for a rightward shift in government policy and legislation development in Parliament.”
Mapaila said the central committee expressed deep concern regarding the issues that affected the elections on the Independent Electoral Commission of SA’s side.
“These issues include the major technological breakdowns, especially, and largely in African communities.
These breakdowns contributed to delays in voting and system downtime disruptions during the counting process,” he said.
“The central committee reiterated the call made by the political bureau for an investigation into why these problems occurred. The investigation must also include examining where the IEC sourced the technology it used.”
Mapaila said the investigation would be crucial to prevent future disruptions and secure the credibility of the country’s elections.
“The SACP will seek a hearing with the IEC to discuss responses to this call.”
Cape Times