The South African Communist Party congratulates its ally, the Congress of South African Trade Unions for the watershed 13th National Congress held in Midrand, Johannesburg from 17 to 20 September 2018. The Congress was guided by the theme, “Deepen the back to basics campaign, consolidate the struggle for the National Democratic Revolution and advance the struggle for socialism”. Delegates representing Cosatu affiliates unanimously elected new national office bearers led by Comrade Zingiswa Losi as President. The SACP congratulates Comrade Zingiswa and equally the entire collective of the newly elected Cosatu national office bearers, the First Deputy President Comrade Mike Shingange, Second Deputy President Comrade Louise Thipe, Treasurer Comrade Freda Oosthuysen, General Secretary Comrade Bheki Ntshalintshali and Deputy General Secretary Comrade Solly Phetoe.

The SACP will continue intensifying its alliance with Cosatu to develop working class leadership of our National Democratic Revolution and lay the indispensible basis for the advance to socialism. This will include consistently working together with the federation’s newly elected leadership to forge, advance and deepen a common radical programme to tackle and eventually eliminate the system of capitalist exploitation of workers.

The SACP profoundly welcomes the declaration adopted by the Congress unwaveringly supporting a radical reconfiguration of the ANC-headed alliance and calling on the SACP to deepen the implementation of the road map for a working class electoral contest of future elections if the alliance is not reconfigured. The reconfiguration is the basis upon which the SACP will participate in the 2019 elections to secure a decisive victory for our movement and people, the majority of whom is the working class and poor. The SACP welcomes the decisive convergence with Cosatu on this score as well as other progressive resolutions adopted by the Congress.

 

Issued by The South African Communist Party