Johannesburg - The Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) has congratulated the SACP for its 100 years of revolutionary life since its founding on July 30, 1921.
CPS general secretary Thokozane Kenneth Kuene said the formation of the SACP was preceded by principled gallant opposition to the imperialist war now known as World War I (1914-1918).
“It was preceded by the War-on-War League, whose opposition to the imperialist war remains an inspiration. The War-on-War League was succeeded by the anti-war International Socialist League in 1915.
He said in July 1920, the Second World Congress of the Communist International laid down precise terms for the admission of new parties into the Communist International. The International also set forth the obligations that affiliate parties were to incur.
Through following the strict directives issued by the Communist International, the SACP was thus officially launched on July 30 1921 as the Communist Party of SA in Cape Town. William H Andrews became its first general secretary.
Kunene said the SACP contributed immensely to building South Africa’s national liberation movement amid relentless attacks from the colonial and apartheid regimes.
“Many South African communists paid the ultimate price for fighting against the racist colonial and apartheid system. Their practical example of struggle contributed ... to building the oldest and largest communist party in the African continent.
“South African communists’ non-racial and non-sexist inspired many people across the African continent, and indeed across the world, in their fight against colonialism, racism and all forms of discrimination and subjugation. Following the SACP’s example, many organisations reformed themselves into unified fighting movements and managed to defeat colonial superpowers,” Kunene said.
In its efforts to unite the African people, Kunene said the SACP contributed in no small measure to the building of the African Left Networking Forum (ALNEF).
“The CPS from its inception in 2011 made its humble contributions to build a strong ALNEF for the emancipation of Africa from imperialist domination, for the sovereignty of the African peoples.
“The CPS calls for more African communist parties and revolutionary movements to play a more active role in the strengthening of ALNEF. The struggle for the emancipation of the African people must be decisive and be characterised by ruthlessness in the opposition to corrupt elements within the continent for true freedom of the people.
The CPS together with oppressed people of Swaziland remain inspired by the SACP’s role in uniting the forces of the revolution in the struggle against the apartheid system, including its role in crafting tactics of struggle,” Kunene said.
He urged for a unity among communist parties in Africa saying it was especially crucial today as King Mswati III’s security forces recently butchered protesters, killing over 70, injuring hundreds and arresting close to 700 people.
The CPS’s “Democracy Now” campaign, launched in 2019, has now been embraced by the masses of Eswatini. The people are now openly calling for the fall of the monarchy and its replacement by a democratic republic, which the CPS has campaigned for since its birth.
“The political, economic and social crisis in Swaziland, a direct product of the absolute monarchy system, has deepened the suffering of the majority poor people of Swaziland. The CPS calls for intensification of international solidarity with the people of Swaziland,” Kunene said.