The South African Communist Party in Mpumalanga is rejecting the closure of coal powered stations, as the country transitions to clean energy.
This was revealed by party during it’s 11th provincial elective congress at the University of Mpumalanga in Mbombela.
SACP members gathered to discuss policies and elect a new leadership.
There were little changes on leadership. Bonakele Majuba is the new provincial chairperson and Lucky Mbuyane is the secretary.
The party says the province has huge coal reserves that could last for decades. Eight power stations are set to be de-commissioned by 2030 and more by 2050.
Newly elected secretary Lucky Mbuyane The party says the the closure of the power stations will lead to unemployment and poverty.
“This issue of Eskom which is as a result of power management, results of corruption, as a result of selfish interest of trying t make make Eskom to fail and privatised so people can get businesses out of it, the party in this province is going to work very hard we are against the closure of coal fired power station because it will contribute directly to the lose of jobs.”
The SACP also expressed concern about the state of the alliance. General Secretary of the SACP Solly Mapaila.
“The state of the movement today is not in good conditions that the broadly forced headed by the ANC on how to improve ourselves, how to strengthen ourselves, how to continue to improve the quality of our example of leadership.”
It remains to seen, whether the SACP will eventually contest state power as the 2024 general elections draws closer.
Mapaila says there is a need for the voice of the workers to be heard.
“We need a clear independent working class voice, the party voice talking specify to the working class, articulating the issues of workers and the working class and if that space is not accorded to us through the conflagration of the alliance there no bases we should stay in that frame work in this form, hence the decision by our congress to contest the election with or without the conflagration of the alliance.”
The first deputy secretary position remains in the hands of Mandla Tibane and the second deputy is Nhlakanipho Zuma.
Lindi Mtswane is the provincial treasury.
The 393 voting delegates have given the leadership a big mandate to execute to ensure the lives of people are improved for the better.
