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Nzimande calls for an end to the ‘tenderisation of the state’

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The General Secretary of the SACP Blade Nzimande has called for an end to, what he calls, the tenderisation of the state, in order to fight the continuing corruption in South Africa.

He says following the reports of alleged corruption by ANC and government officials involving funds meant to be used in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 – the state must review the process of doing business.

He was addressing the virtual 99th anniversary of the SACP.

This year’s celebrations were held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nzimande says if the ‘tenderisation of the State’ does not get the much needed attention from government – then the alliance must kiss this democratically elected government good bye.

“We must intensify the struggle to end the tenderisation of the state and the corruption that it brings and tackle its associated tendencies like tenderpreuners and what some are referring to as COVID-preuners. We want to say that tenderisation of the state and corruption that it breeds constitutes one of the biggest single threats to our national liberation movement.”

In the video below, Nzimande speaks out against corruption:

ANC NEC member and Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has conceded that corruption will have detrimental effects on the ANC-led alliance – which includes the SACP, Cosatu and the national civic organisation, Sanco. He says factionalism within the ANC must be rooted out.

Factionalism in the ANC means factionalism in the Communist Party. We have to work together to rid our organisation of this demon, compared corruption is threatening to tear our alliance apart and this will dent the deep trust people have in our movement. These have to be ruthlessly uprooted by the alliance partners, with the same viguar that we used to have when fought against apartheid. We know that we celebrate important birthdays, but the fourth lines of poverty have exposed our friends – we need to close ranks in search of our solutions.”

Trade Union Federation, Cosatu, has committed to continue to be a part of the ANC-led tripartite alliance as long as the mission is to continue to improve the lives of the working class in South Africa. Its first Deputy President, Mike Shingange, says it’ll take good leadership from the SACP for the country to prosper in all spheres.

“It would not have been possible for the party to have so many stalwarts or for a trade union movement that came with leaders of society that came to different sections of life, including in government, in the ANC and the party. We want to urge the party to take this moment to continue to do the same thing going forward because the road ahead it shall require a political clear activist of the country.”

And the Young Communist League has weighed in and denounced the continued acts of corruption as the country faces the challenge of Covid-19.

National Secretary, Tinyiko Ntini, says: “We need to come out strongly and condemn this because it’s so shameful that while some are so stressed in fighting the invisible enemy, there are those that have seen an opportunity to enrich themselves. There are those that have seen this as an opportunity for them to be millionaires and I think it’s high time that we need to wage the struggle and make sure that in our structures stand against these particular things.”

Nzimande has, on the other hand, described as a “grievous mistake” the move by the Finance Ministry to seek financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. He says it is a shame that South Africa allows itself to be subject to tough interest rates while it repays the loan to the IMF, at a time when the country’s economy is not in a good space.

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