South African Communists send condolences after bushfires

Dear Comrades,

The South African Communist Party is deeply shocked at the enormous loss of lives in wildfires across Australia. We wish to convey our heartfelt condolences to all families of the victims, in which it is believed that close to 200 people, have died.

Whilst the cause of the fires is yet to be ascertained, we are hopeful that more profound measures regarding environmental disaster awareness, climate change, early warning systems will be put in place.

The SACP would be pleased by a demonstration of deep national unity and a mobilisation of all efforts towards urgent rescue operations, saving lives as a priority, with comprehensive medical treatment of the injured, shelter, transport and the provision of basics.

It would be a fitting memory to those who lost their lives if the state takes a proactive lead and do more than adequate, assisted by an alert international community in providing humanitarian and other interventions, subdue and eliminate the fires and the normalization of peoples lives.

Our deepest sympathies to all those who lost their loved ones.


Blade Nzimande
General Secretary
South African Communist Party

New series of The Guardian Podcast begins

The first episode of our new series of podcasts is available in the box widget on the right of this page. In this first episode for 2009 we speak with CPA State Secretary Bob Briton on the recent bushfires in Victoria.

You can stream the podcast in the player or you can download to your computer. If you're an iTunes user you can subscribe to the podcast here.