The South African Communist Party congratulates ANC President Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa for being elected unopposed on Thursday, 15 February 2018 as the new State President of the Republic of South Africa.

The immediate task remains that of radically reducing class, race and gender inequalities and uneven development between urban and rural areas. In particular, this requires increased attention to rural development and resolute policy measures to improve the quality of life of the workers and poor by giving effect to the right to work as enshrined in the Freedom Charter and expanding decent work for all.

These measures will require dismantling the parasitic networks surrounding our state and decisively bringing an end to corporate capture of the state and all other forms of corruption and wrongdoing.

This includes demolishing parallel state mechanisms and manoeuvres such as rogue intelligence units and associated operations.

Issued by SACP