The leadership of the South African Communist Party in the Free State agreed that the struggle for reliable access to quality drinking water must be maintained and extended to other affected areas within the province.
In its statement on the decision of 11th Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) Plenary Session of the 7th Provincial Congress, the party said access to water is an essential basic human need and a fundamental human right.
“In the context of Covid-19, water also plays an important role in maintaining hygiene and contributes significantly in combating the spread of the Covid-19,” said the statement.
According to the Provincial Secretary, Bheke Stofile, the PEC has adopted a consolidated programme titled “Refocussing districts in the period characterised by Covid-19 and lockdown regulations”, which is aimed at strengthening Party structures, cultivating ties with communities and pursuing working class struggles, taking into consideration both constraints and opportunities presented by Covid-19.
He said the PEC has conducted a frank and detailed discussion on the state of Party structures across the province and thus acknowledges both commendable progress and weaknesses within the party.
“Whilst welcoming commendable progress in several areas of Party work, the PEC acknowledged areas of subjective weaknesses especially in light of challenges posed by the outbreak of Covid-19,” he said.
The PEC further acknowledged that Covid-19 has highlighted the important necessity of the unity of the Left.
“Little annoyances must not stand in the way of consolidating working class power necessary for advancing, deepening and defending the national democratic revolution.
“The working class is facing a bloodbath of job losses with an unprecedented upsurge in number of companies retrenching workers. This onslaught cannot be stopped without the unity of the working class.
“The PEC agreed on the need for working class unity and to intensify efforts in this regard, based on a common programme that advances interests of the working class,” said the Provincial Secretary.
*A befitting tribute to Comrade Jack Simons*
The PEC welcomed the important milestone the Party achieved with the General Secretary officially launching the Jack Simons Party School. “It is a befitting tribute to name the Party School after Comrade Jack Simmons who dedicated a lot of his time and life to political education. This has also spurred the PEC to reignite the call for the renaming of Glen Agricultural School to “Jack Simons Agricultural School”,” said the Party.
The PEC also welcomed the 65th Anniversary of the Freedom Charter. In revisiting the Freedom Charter, the SACP in the province will also pay attention to the 60th Anniversary of the Coalbrook disaster. This remains the biggest tragedy in the history of South African mining where 437 mineworkers perished during a mine collapse on 21 January 1960 at the Coalbrook Collieries and could not be retrieved from underground.
