PARTY+BUILDING+COMMISSION

=PARTY BUILDING COMMISSION=

Resource Person: Solly Mapaila Scribe: Buti Manamela**
 * Chair: Gwede Mantasthe

Resources and fundraising is ignored in the resolution. How can we talk about Party Building without resources?

North West - 50/50 women representation but not only Congresses but in all decision-making structures.

E.Cape - convenorship of the Conference of the Left but all … The SACP has a duty to extend its tactical alliances. A clear deployment strategy (leaders, CC members) to be visible and lead campaigns at lower levels.

Conference of the Left - convened by the SACP in the early 1990s. There is a whole range of small left organisations which had not learnt from 1994. They sough to continue bashing the SACP and alliance and failing to understand the sympathies of the poor and workers. By leading battles on land, financial sector, this is how we assemble left forces, those who are prepared to work. The enemy is not the ANC but capital. We found ourselves isolated in a sea of attacks on the ANC. We must build from our experience of the last several around active campaigns and programmes. The campaigning resolution is the correct route building on our experiences.

E. Cape - Hani warning on open debate. We must not refuse to engage other left force. We seek to lead not just the ANC but all of society. Small as they are, there seems to be a need for engagement. Ours is to uncover the bankruptcy of our opponents. We must not fail to convene this conference.

Chair - we engage all forces all the time. We have won people on the ground through campaigns.

CHI - tasks for the CHI. Perhaps CHI can investigate this and report to the CC.

Blade - engage these formations through struggles and campaigns. COSATU has a resolution to convene, working with the SACP, a conference on socialism. This perhaps tries to address these issues through focusing on socialism. The Congress must mandate COSATU on this conference. Vishwas - noting part, the campaigns have led to a growing…. Sophisticated smacks of pretentiousness. We must set the tone for Party building and we must be more modest.

1. CAMPAIGNS


 * Noting that:**

a) The SACP has grown to become a campaign based organisation. b) These campaigns has focused on various stratums of the working class, these are vulnerable workers, farm workers, urban working class, etc. c) The campaigns have led to a growing and sophisticated SACP.


 * Resolve that:**

d) We need to have SACP activists and not members. e) We should see our campaigns focusing on issues that affects women. f) We need to focus much more on campaigns that deals with Poverty and unemployment. g) We need to strengthen our focus on co-operatives, which are alternatives to unemployment and poverty eradication. h) We reaffirm our support for the existing campaigns and will encourage active participation of all members into such campaigns. i) Participate in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Freedom Charter together with the ANC and COSATU, ensure that it is rooted within the workers and the poor of our country.

2. MEMBERSHIP


 * Noting that:**

a) There is a growing membership, however, this is not reflected in the activities of the SACP. b) Most members and some of the leadership (Central Committee) are not involved in the daily life of the Party.


 * Resolve that:**

c) We need to focus on the targeted recruitment of new members and lapsed members and ensure that they are being properly inducted and educated on Party policies. d) There should be continuous political education programmes for members. e) We need to assess members of the SACP and Central Committee members on the basis on their deployments and their work within the organisation.

3. THE SACP AND TRADE UNIONS North West - recruiting from TUs, ANC - it is fundamentally opposed Gwede - the issue was corrected. Not possible to recruit all TU and ANC. Rather emphasise communists being active in ANC and COSATU. The Party can assist in the goal of one federation by recruiting in unions outside COSATU. E.Cape - statistics on unionisation show that the three federations have a particular portion of workers but there are still many workers not in unions. The SACP must engage beyond workers in federations. We must have a coherent programme to deal with yellow unions. In the imperialist period, their duty is to play a critical role in moving with the Party. North West - we agreed on targeted recruitment.


 * Resolve that:**

a) We need to have an SACP that is rooted within the trade union movement. b) The YCL has an important role to play in ensuring that young workers join and build trade unions. c) All members of COSATU affiliates and ANC should be recruited into the SACP. Commitment on Communists work in TU and ANC.

4. IDEOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION


 * Noting that:**

a) We have witnessed absence of political education and cadre development programmes.

ANC - strengthen by suggesting that we address agitation and propaganda. If each CP member is obliged not just to distribute Umsebenzi or the AC, bot in addition to also discuss one article in these publications with whoever receives these pubs. They must also keep note of what is discussed. This will reinforce the KYNC and maintain contact with people in the ANC, SANCO, private sector, COSATU, workers. Each person must then report as part of mass work - the work of the party cadre in mass formations. Report for each month on discussions and issues raised. This will go a long way to take forward disciplined work. The ANC is very thirsty for this. b) We need to invest in the cadre development programme of the SACP. c) We need to ensure that SACP history, mission and objectives are deep-rooted amongst the youth and society at lasrge. d) All members of the SACP should form and actively participate in Study circles as part of their political education programme. e) Political and ideological education should be based on the question of real life activism and linked to the campaigns of the SACP.
 * Resolve that:**

5. OUR MEDIUM TERM VISION


 * Resolve that:**

a) We need to internalise the MTV in Branches and Districts, and ensure that we advance the question of working class power. b) SACP is part of the ANC-led Alliance and has contested power. c) We need to engage into a programme to educate members on the MTV should be engaged into. d) The MTV will take the party a long way towards the kind of readiness required to enter an election campaign. The MVT is not an alternative to standing in elections. It is an essential stage in developing the party's capacity to take part in both elections and in government, whether as part of the ANC or independently. e) The party should carry out an evaluation of progress in relation to the MTV. Phillip - we actually need to identify the concrete things that need evaluation. Policy terms? Organisation building terms? Enabling clause for CC to discuss. Chair - evaluation of policy thrust and to assess our performance.

6. WHAT KIND OF SACP DO WE NEED?

JC - a) The role of the SACP is to abolish all forms of exploitation.
 * Noting that:**


 * Resolve that:**

b) We need an SACP that responds to the needs, aspirations and interests of the working class. c) That the SACP is an organisation of power, influence and activism. a. Power in trade unions, civic, ANC, mass movements NGO is what we mean in terms of power. b. Influence means ensuring that the party presence is felt and decisions and interests of the working class are met or served. d) We need to ensure that we build a Party of Revolution, a vanguard of the working class. e) Building a vanguard party: mass party, a party that finds itself in every organ in society, grounded politically and theoretically, a grounded party that leads to and seeks to foster working class hegemony. f) We need to make an internal assessment of the SACP, its strength and weaknesses. g) The SACP has and will continue to lead in analysing, and in developing S&T to overcome cladss exploit, as a route to socialism. The SACP continues to see a mass-based and radical NDR as the shortest route to socialism. The SACP remains the theoretical vehicle for the completion of the NDR and the advancement of Socialism. We need to understand that Colonialism of a Special Type and the NDR are the shortest route towards Socialism. We draw our lessons from various international theoretical lessons, including The Cuban revolution as an example of such a revolutionary theory. h) The SACP should be part of the leadership of the National Democratic Revolution. i) We need an SACP that directly mobilise the working class for a socialist struggle. j) The party must be the hope of the working class and the poor in ushering a society free of exploitation.

7. REALISING AND STRUGGLING FOR THE LIBERATION OF WOMEN AND GENDER


 * Noting that:**

a) Women are at the centre of the struggle, and suffers the brunt of capitalism. b) Participation of women in leadership is significant


 * Resolve that:**

North West - add PWDs to what? E.Cape - there are no specific programmes suggested. The CP is not doing enough to empower women. The resolution is just general without specific things that the Party must do. Quality is more fundamental than the quantity. Targetted programmes to empower women. The 50% target must be related to quality. Gauteng - the Party handles the issue fluffily. There must be a women and gender summit to advise the CC and develop programmes of action based on needs of women. COSATU - ongoing discussion required on gender relations. Endorse last speaker. We should agree to 50% participation of women at all levels of CP const. Structures. We cannot always quantify this at all times. The argument raised earlier cannot be sustained. We also have quantity and not quality participation by men. We must expose women, political education, activa participation in campaigns. This argument cannot be sustained anymore. We must take bold steps. c) We should consciously include women in the programmes and vision of the SACP. d) We should focus on the development of the rural masses with women at the centre. e) Women have the capacity to strengthen the Party and thus a need to ensure that there is 50/50 representation in delegations to Congresses. f) Various governmental institutions responsible for capacity building of women requires thorough assessment on their impact. g) Consider the question of a Women's Forum at a Branch level, and what the role of such a structure should be in the SACP. h) Challenge the sexual division of labour and unpaid labour.

8. WHAT KIND OF CADRE DO WE NEED/NOT NEED Judy - communist morality must be addressed.


 * Resolved that:**

a) We need to have cadres who conduct themselves in a communist manner. b) Cadres who input into or ideologically assess certain situations on the basis of them being communists first and not on the basis of their deployment. c) We need communists who are self-less and are not taking or influencing decisions based on their own interests, and that they should subordinate their interest to those of the working class. d) We need cadres who understand the broader national and international situation. e) Understand the significance, relevance, role and tradition of the Alliance f) Cadres who work in the trade union movement and understand the need to serve organise workers. g) Cadres who view accountability as an important duty of their work as communists h) Cadres must be rooted and grounded in society, and understand what their role in transforming or revolutionising society. i) We need cadres who are all-rounder, be rooted in masses, found where our people are, and who are also active in social movements. j) Cadres must be ready to influence people, communities and structures. k) Communist cadres who are Gender activists and fight against all forms of oppresion.

9. INTERNATIONAL WORK JC -
 * Resolve that:**

a) Specific work should be done relating to the release of THE CUBAN FIVE. b) Creation of strong international voices of the working class. c) Structures of the SACP should take responsibility in joining and building Friend Of Cuba Society. d) The SACP should make an analysis of the left forces in the continent and ensure that we together with the TU movement and the ANC strengthen such a left force. e) Strengthen or revive relations with National Liberation Movements within the region and continent, particularly FRELIMO and MPLA. - a bit arrogant of us. The SACP willwork with a range of forces to ensure that the wc, peasantry can play the motive role that there is peace, development. f) We need to focus on campaigns focusing on Zimbabwe and Swaziland, and the continent - broadly look at the whole continent. g) Resuscitate the International desk of the SACP from all structures.

10. BRANCHES


 * Resolve that:**

a) We should re-align our structures in line with government demarcations so as we broaden but focus our impact. Gauteng - counters. We should have our own demarcations we can manage. Not supported. Western Cape - wording must be more cautious. The CC must look into this matter and check feasibility. Yunus - constitutional commission, section 20 of Constitution on determination of boundaries. The CC giving effect of the new constitution within 6 months after elections campaign. Too complex an issue. Chair - provinces will submit concerns and proposals for adaptations. b) We need to understand the sociology of the SACP Branch, what we discuss in these branches, who constitute the SACP Branch and what is the difference between an SACP Branch and other community organisations. c) There should be a consistent servicing of branches by Districts and Provinces which should be defined by the Organising department. d) The SACP should consider translating most of its key documents and programmes into other languages so that language does not become a barrier to communications. e) Every branch and district should have an Annual Plan based on the National, Provincial and District Programme of Action and ensure that it implements such a plan. f) Foster within SACP branches mobilisation on community based issues through the Know Your Neighbourhood Campaign and other SACP led campaigns. g) Need to organize to build a large and politically and theoretically educated, and informed party h) Branches should be given reports from Central Committee meetings as part of ensuring that they are kept abreast.

11. THE ALLIANCE


 * Noting that:**

a) There is an interrelation between the ANC, COSATU and the SACP, which constitute the Congress Movement and everyone should be part of that Movement.


 * Resolve that:**

b) We reaffirm the alliance as a revolutionary vehicle for the advancement of the National Democratic Revolution. c) The SACP should continue to influence the ANC and COSATU and veer both into the correct path of the NDR. JC - a bit arrogant. The SACP will continue to seek to influence and engage with but also learn from ANC and COSATU. The main thing ids to underline mutual influence and we do not have all the wisdom in our pockets! d) There have been changes in the alliance and thus, also impacting the NDR and its path. There is however convergence points between the alliance partners. e) The SACP should be in the forefront of strengthening the Alliance. f) The SACP is committed and will actively participate in the implementation of the alliance programme

12. POLITICAL AGITATION AND PROPAGANDA See Mkhuluwa's comments above.

a) We need to ensure that we use Umsebenzi as an organising and educational tool. b) We should also ensure that every branch has at least one Umsebenzi and branches should be central in distributing them. c) Strengthen the work of the SACP as it relates to mass media. d) That our mass media communication should be educational and informative.

13. BUILDING THE YCL.


 * Noting that:**

a) The YCL has been relaunched as part of the implementation of the resolutions of the 11th Congress.


 * Resolve that:**

b) Every branch of the SACP should lead the process of the formation of the YCL c) Where there is a YCL branch and no SACP branch, the YCL should lead the process of launching an SACP Branch as one of its first tasks. d) Political education required for the YCL needed.