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Communist Party backs ANC in birthday message

SAPA
27 July 2000

Johannesburg The South African Communist Party has urged its supporters to back the African National Congress in local government elections in November despite the party's criticism of the ANC's economic policy.

"An overwhelming ANC victory in the 2000 local government elections remains the most viable option to advance, consolidate and deepen the national democratic revolution," the SACP said in a statement on Thursday ahead of its 79th anniversary on the weekend.

"We therefore call on all communities, workers and all our people to register an overwhelming victory for the ANC in the coming local government elections," the party said.

Reflecting on the party's history and its alliance with the ANC, the SACP reiterated its opposition to the government's current programme of privatising certain state assets and services.

"The SACP argues that much greater emphasis needs to be placed on the mobilisation and co-ordination of budgetary, parastatal and domestic private capital for a more concerted infra-structural development approach led by a strong national democratic state which intervenes in the economy.

"Therefore, the SACP sees no need for downsizing, outsourcing, privatisation and the reduction of labour standards in the public sector."

The SACP also called for a public campaign for the transformation of major financial institutions which it said continued to monopolise financial resources and deny the poor access to credit.

The SACP is only slightly younger than the ANC which was founded in 1912.