South Africa's first Conference of the Left calls for nationalization and constitutional overhaul
via The Citizen2 min read
South Africa's first Conference of the Left, held in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, has adopted a socialist stance, advocating for nationalization, land expropriation without compensation, and a review of the constitution. The gathering, which included 13 organizations such as the South African Communist Party SACP, Azapo, the EFF, the uMkhonto weSizwe party, trade unions, and civil society groups, resolved that the economy's commanding heights should be controlled by the working class. Delegates demanded the nationalization of the Reserve Bank and a reorientation of monetary policy to prioritize employment and industrialization. They also called for a comprehensive review of the 1996 constitution to address unfinished democratic and socialist objectives, including land, property relations, public ownership, social rights, and the state's role in the economy. Land reform was emphasized as central to the struggle, with delegates insisting on restitution and redistribution for dignity, equality, and democratic access. The conference endorsed expropriation without compensation and security of tenure. The conference, held without the ANC, which boycotted the event despite an invitation, signaled the left's intention to take the strategic initiative, with the SACP leading. Delegates declared that working-class power must lead the struggle for popular power in South Africa. The conference also resolved that the left should be broad enough to unite all who stand with the working class, inclu
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South African schools continue to experience incidents involving pupils falling into pit toilets, despite the Department of Basic Education's pledge to eradicate them by March 2025. Recent incidents occurred at Mogogelo Primary in North West and Zakhele Primary in KwaZulu-Natal. At Mogogelo Primary, a Grade 1 pupil fell into a pit toilet after a contractor abandoned the site, leaving open inlets. The school's education spokesperson, Vuyo Mantshule, stated the school did not barricade the construction area. At Zakhele Primary, a five-year-old pupil was rescued from a pit latrine earlier this year. Kathija Yassim, an education leadership professor at the University of Johannesburg, noted that under the Sanitation Appropriate for Education Safe programme, 3,372 schools with unsafe pit toilets were identified in 2018. As of April 2025, 96% of these schools had been addressed, with 141 awaiting completion, a number that has since fallen to around 135. Yassim also highlighted that about 1,770 public schools still had some form of pit toilets in 2024, though many also had alternative sanitation. The department has allocated R1.6 billion for the 2025-26 financial year to complete pit latrine eradication. Last year, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube informed parliament that the Safe initiative had eradicated over 93% of identified pit toilets and confirmed that all 3,372 schools identified in the 2018 audit now have safe and appropriate sanitation facilities.
Nigerians are reportedly sleeping outside their embassy in Pretoria, awaiting repatriation flights two weeks after anti-migrant protests on June 30. Many have been living in South Africa for years and are now seeking assistance to return home, with some expressing concerns about the lack of support from the embassy and the safety of women and children. Meanwhile, the Malawi high commission is experiencing a significant increase in demand for aid, with the Institute for Islamic Services providing meals, winter essentials, and medical supplies to hundreds of individuals daily. A staff member from the Malawian high commission, speaking anonymously, indicated that while buses are transporting people, the influx of those seeking refuge, sometimes up to 300 daily, is overwhelming. Doctors have also expressed concern for over 40 children sleeping in the embassy's basement due to cold weather. Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi stated that South Africa has deported and repatriated over 50,000 foreign nationals recently as authorities address migration concerns.
Makhi Feni, chair of the select committee on education, sciences and the creative industries, has accused Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube of misrepresenting progress in eliminating pit toilets in schools. Following oversight visits to schools in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and North West, Feni stated that the department cited the completion of an old project as an achievement, despite a significant backlog. The Minister's office, through spokesperson Lukhanyo Vangqa, denied that Gwarube lied, clarifying that all 3,372 projects from the 2018 Safe Initiative audit had reached practical completion. Vangqa emphasized that this does not imply the absence of sanitation or water supply challenges in all South African schools, distinguishing between the completion of the 2018 backlog and other identified needs. The department could not provide a cost for complete eradication, citing variables like facility condition, solution type, water availability, and geographic accessibility. Provincial education departments are responsible for budgeting for remaining infrastructure needs. The overall school infrastructure backlog in South Africa exceeds R120 billion. The FW de Klerk Foundation called for accelerated pit latrine removal and accurate reporting, with Daniela Ellerbeck, constitutional rights programmes manager, and Christo van der Rheede, executive director, highlighting the need for honesty about remaining challenges. Kathija Yassim, an education leadership professor, stres