Recent looting and burning of infrastructure was an insurrection, says Blade Nzimande

SACP general secretary, Dr Blade Nzimande, says the looting and burning of infrastructure in July after the arrest of former president Zuma was an insurrection.

Dr Nzimande’s views come after several ANC members and ministers contradicted one another on whether the unrest was an insurrection or not.

“The dangerous insurrection emerged from its nesting place within the ANC itself,” says Nzimande.

The outspoken SACP general secretary says the plotters of the failed insurrection worked with criminal networks and mobilised along racial lines.

He lashed out on those who want to destabilise the country, saying the rule of law in South Africa should be respected by all and not a certain portion of the society.

Nzimande was addressing the SACP rally in celebration of its centenary.

“The dangerous insurrection emerged from its nesting place within the ANC itself,” says Nzimande.

Dr Nzimande further alleges the insurrection plotters wanted to halt economic activity in order to bring the country to its knees.

“The insurrection violence and turmoil of early July was both planned and funded, sometimes brazenly by those behind it. It was at once well-funded, relatively professional and hopelessly inept strategy. The plotters deliberately triggered and then lost control over a wave of looting mostly by the most marginalised strata in our society. They wanted to block the Durban Harbour, oil pipelines and burning of food depots.”

Small businesses, mostly belonging to Black people, were guttered when malls were looted and burnt. Dr Nzimande says the attack on these businesses made the plotters lose ground support in their failed coup attempt.

“Instead of winning sympathy for their political agendas, the insurrection plotters, who themselves have been involved in 10 years of globalised looting on an industrial scale found themselves on the backfoot,” he adds.

Nzimande says the SACP is not part of any ANC factions, but support the sitting administration under president Cyril Ramaphosa.

“It is indeed unfortunate that a leader like Jacob Zuma is behind bars and no one is celebrating but the rule of law must be maintained. Caught out by the back lash against the mass looting some of the conspiracy campo sort to back track. There were desperate condenses epitomise by one person calling looters to I quote “please do so carefully and please do so responsibly” unquote. What kind of a call is that. A ridiculous plea which sort simultaneously to distance itself and to support such other similar calls,” says Nzimande.

The party has also called on South Africans not to allow themselves to be racially divided, while urging law enforcement agencies to arrest the “thugs and criminals” in Phoenix, who killed Black people.

Grant

The SACP has also called on government to introduce basic income grant to fight the high rate of unemployment especially young people.

It has also welcomed the reintroduction of the R350 COVID-19 social relief grant until early next year. This comes amid concerns about the impact of the recent looting and violence on the poor – described by president Ramaphosa and Nzimande as a failed insurrection.

KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng have suffered billions in losses from the unrest which rocked the both provinces three weeks ago.

The communist party says they have been campaigning for the continuation of the social relief grant.

“There are millions of unemployed South Africans but who are willing and able to work and there are vast areas of socially needed work in our country, in our society, in our communities. Our way out of poverty, inequality and unemployment is for our government to lead a huge public employment programme,” says Nzimande.

Dr Blade Nzimande addresses the SACP rally:

Radical Economic Transformation

ANC chairperson, Gwede Mantashe, has urged alliance partners not to sloganise the idea of Radical Economic Transformation (RET), but to embrace it as a formula to change the lives of ordinary South Africans. He was also speaking during the virtual centenary celebrations of the SACP.

The founding conference of the SACP was held on this day in Cape Town 100 years ago as the Communist Party of South Africa.

Mantashe, who is also a member of the Central Committee of the SACP, said radical economic transformation could only be achieved by a formidable alliance which will be able to respond to challenges facing South Africans.