South African Communist Party

Response to the ANCs extended NWC allegations

Johannesburg, 5 April 2017

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has noted the statement of the extended
National Working Committee of the African National Congress (ANC) as
communicated at a press briefing today, Wednesday 5 April. The ANC was the first
organisation that the SACP officially informed of our Partys decision that it was time
for President Zuma to resign. The SACP informed the ANC before communicating the
decision publicly, further stating that we were available for a meeting on the matter.
The SACP welcomes the ANCs acceptance of our Partys proposal for a meeting on
the decision.

But it is completely unacceptable to scapegoat the SACP for the lack of

consultation by President Jacob Zuma.

He reshuffled the Cabinet last week without even consulting the ANC itself and not
only Alliance partners on the other positions that were affected and names that were
decided elsewhere as confirmed by ANC officials in response to is unilateralism.

The SACP rejects as baseless the allegation that the Party leaked information from its
bilateral engagements held last week with the ANC and thereby breached
confidentiality commitment. On the contrary, and as we have said, the leak clearly
came from the ranks of the ANC, and sought to portray the SACP as if the Party had
agreed to the reshuffling of the former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, whereas that
was untrue.

It was in fact the leak that compelled the SACP to convene a press briefing on
Thursday, 30 March to set the record straight. This good decision to set the record
straight was taken in good faith because the SACP does not communicate by means
of leaks. The SACP will engage further with the ANC on this matter.

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ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY: THE SACP