Fifty Thousand Communists

The Communist University once again had to cope with some technical failures over the weekend. The SACP meanwhile was holding an Augmented Central Committee meeting with five main items on the agenda. These were the National Democratic Revolution (NDR), State Power, the ANC Policy Conference in June 2007, the SACP’s 12th National Congress in July 2007, and the Progressive Women’s’ Movement (PWM). The post-CC statement is linked below. Clearly, there remains a lot more detail to be added. The NDR is dealt with in one line (“A socialist-oriented national democratic revolution is the only hope…&c”) and the PWM in another (“the CC resolved to build a strong Progressive Woman’s Movement and strengthen our campaign to eradicate the abuse of women and children…”). “State Power” (code for standing SACP candidates in elections) gets no mention at all. The SACP’s quantitative growth from 36357 to 50076 is a 38% increase. It is credible. Both branch formation and political education have been systematic and steady for a long time now. That being the case, strong growth is practically inevitable. The leaked COSATU report, or possibly plural reports, that gave Moshoeshoe Monare his exclusive on Friday became Sthembiso Msomi’s exclusive for the City Press vis-à-vis the other Sunday papers. It looks like some careful management of the leak is going on. So, can the story “explode” (again) as Msomi thinks? Perhaps he would do better if he would discuss the content and implementation of the COSATU 9th Congress resolutions. See the link below. Then there is the other “exploding” story (remember the “explosive diary” in the boot of Glenn Agliotti’s car?), the one that stems from the Irishman Paul O’Sullivan’s crazy accusations. The article about O’Sullivan linked below is quite strong, but the news article in the hard copy City Press (but not on the Internet) is even stronger. This bloke is a liability to anybody’s cause. The NPA/Scorpions are busy trying to shake him off, but they can’t, it’s too late. They are “lumbered” with him. One thing has not been widely remarked upon in the South African press about O’Sullivan, although the facts are there. This man was a born Irishman who sold himself to the British oppressors and worked in the British intelligence against his own people. The man was already an impimpi long before he set foot in South Africa. The Sunday Times’ best story concerned the many government figures who have shares in the Gautrain boondoggle. This project is going to be a scandal for many years to come – maybe for decades. Those politicians who backed it in exchange for a piece of the action can and must be made to regret it forever. COSATU at least did not waste any time. See the Sunday Times article and the report of COSATU’s rapid response, linked below. In another quick response, COSATU GS Zwelinzima Vavi, a member of the 2010 World Cup local organising committee (LOC), gave the Australian creeping would-be scavenger Morris Iemma a piece of his mind, and quite rightly. Tony Leon is bailing. Good. Click on these links: SACP, Statement of the Augmented Central Committee (1442 words) Cosatu power struggles intensify, Sthembiso Msomi, City Press (753 words) The spy who wants to topple Selebi, Makhudu Sefara, City Press (1251 words) Gautrain gravy, wa Ngobeni, Mahalagu and Lubisi, Sunday Times (654 words) Cosatu slams Gautrain fat cats, News24 (424 words) Vavi fumes over Aussie 2010 hijack, Timothy Molobi, City Press (671 words)