Anger over Nzimande's tactics Mar 13, 2011 12:10 AM | By NKULULEKO NCANA ------------------------------ SA Communist Party boss Blade Nzimande has been accused of using an iron fist to crush dissident members and seeking to purge those posing a threat to his and President Jacob Zuma's leadership. ------------------------------
IRON FIST: Blade Nzimande [image: IRON FIST: Blade Nzimande] The latest alleged casualty of Nzimande's wrath is SACP central committee member and Limpopo finance MEC David Masondo, who has been suspended from the party's politburo while formal charges against him are being finalised. Nzimande's rage has extended to Limpopo province, where the party's provincial structure - believed to be cosy with ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema - was last week disbanded and replaced with a new provincial executive committee. Insiders sympathetic to Masondo told the Sunday Times on condition of anonymity that they believed the SACP leader was grappling with consolidating his forces ahead of the party's elective congress next year. It is believed that Cosatu boss Zwelinzima Vavi could emerge at the congress as a contender to take over from Nzimande. "It is there for everyone to see that anyone who (takes) a different political view from that of Blade's is castigated," said a central committee member who asked not to be named. "How does one begin to debate within the party when there is that fear that you will be labelled a workerist and part of a new tendency without looking at the facts that have been raised?" Masondo is also former chairman of the Young Communist League (YCL) and is being accused of attacking Nzimande in his opening address at the league's anarchic elective congress held in December. He rebuked Nzimande and his protégé - YCL secretary Buti Manamela - for allegedly using their positions to "destroy fellow comrades" who stood in their way of "upward mobility" and wealth accumulation. Masondo angered Nzimande even further when he labelled him and his supporters "communists by convenience and not by conviction". Masondo is now facing charges of bringing the party into disrepute. His sympathisers told the Sunday Times that he had been targeted for his close relationship with the Malema grouping in Limpopo, and questioned why Masondo was facing disciplinary processes over a YCL event. SACP spokesman Malesela Maleka said he would not comment on Masondo's case, as it was against party policy to discuss confidential matters in public. He said the party had ordered an investigation into why the YCL congress had descended into chaos and said all those involved would be dealt with. "The SACP cannot comment on whether Masondo is facing charges or not, as we have internal protocols not to deal with such matters in public," Maleka added. "Even if it were remotely true that comrade David is facing charges, both the SACP and comrade David are bound by internal party discipline of confidentiality in order to avoid prejudice. "The SACP politburo is set to provide the central committee with its position on whether Masondo should be suspended from the party this week." http://www.timeslive.co.za/Politics/article964399.ece/Anger-over-Nzimandes-tactics -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
