SACP+offended,+Malesela+Maleka,+Business+Day



=Business Day, Johannesburg, Letters, 22 February 2006=


 * SACP offended**

The column by Karima Brown, Abusing Zuma’s accuser erodes hard-won rights (February 17), refers. As the South African Communist Party (SACP) we were extremely offended by this column accusing Cosatu and us of “rolling back the hard-won rights of women to be heard when they speak out about abuse, and the right to live in a society free of rape and violence”. Ms Brown knows our position on these matters very well.

These perspectives were reaffirmed by our central committee last weekend which said: “The committee reaffirmed its principled position that both Comrade Jacob Zuma and the complainant must be afforded support, and their dignity must be respected at all times.”

Charges of this nature place both parties in a vulnerable situation.

It is in the interests of both parties and, indeed, of our liberation movement and our country that a dignified process is allowed to proceed and that justice is done. We must not allow the reckless abuse of the rights of either Zuma or the complainant.

This abuse has emanated, not least, from sections of the media.

We cannot be held responsible for placards that do not emanate from the SACP, nor be expected to respond to every placard that is paraded in demonstrations. Given our well-known positions, it should be obvious to anyone which pamphlets would be out of line with our commitments and our beliefs.

Incidentally, we find it strange that when some newspapers published the names of the accused and the complainant long before the matter came to court there was no such venom against that media, and Ms Brown was loudly silent.

Possibly this silence was a result of intramedia solidarity, thus trading one’s principles on the altar of solidarity with colleagues. Just as people in demonstrations must not throw stones, people who live in glass houses must also never throw stones!


 * Malesela Maleka**


 * SACP spokesmanJohannesburg**


 * From: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/opinion.aspx?ID=BD4A159002**

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