South African Communist Party to host conference of left-wing groups

The gathering will discuss measures to address national challenges, particularly for the poor, a party official has said

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has announced plans to organize a conference of left-wing groups and individuals to discuss how to tackle challenges that face the country.

Speaking on Monday, the party’s national spokesperson Mbulelo Mandlana said the conference of the left would be held in a few months and will include non-governmental organizations, civil society groups, working class and all other parties and individuals on the left of South African politics.

Asked whether this would result in political pact to contest local government elections similar to the DA-led Multi-Party Charter in 2024, Mandlana said this was not the intention, as the conference of the left will include non-political organizations. However, he said the outcome of the conference will ultimately determine the way forward.

”Ours is not a political pact like the DA’s moonshot (pact). We are organizing a conference of the left, whether in politics or not. We do not intend to sign a political agreement, however, it will be the conference itself that will determine what needs to be done to overcome the challenges facing the country, particularly the poor people,” said Mandlana.

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He stated that the party has already started informal discussions with the likes of EFF and other parties on the left. Mandlana also assured ANC members, who hold both ANC and SACP membership, that his party has no problem with them keeping their dual membership.

“As far as we are concerned, the dual membership of SACP and ANC members is an important principle that must be respected and protected. The elections are no reason to undo that principle. The SACP will not punish any member for holding ANC and SACP membership at the same time.

”We have not heard any official communication from the ANC to say dual membership is outlawed as such, we are not operating under the understanding that dual membership is not something the ANC opposes or views as offensive to it as an organization,” said Mandlana.

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However, he said the SACP will have its election teams run separately from the ANC, adding that this has nothing to do with dual membership or the alliance.

The sentiments were echoed by the party’s KwaZulu-Natal interim provincial executive committee member Phumlani Mthembu, who emphasized the importance of ‘poor people speaking with one voice.’ Mthembu said that the notion that the SACP will be contesting the ANC in the elections should be dismissed. He argued that the SACP will be contesting elections alongside the ANC and other parties, not that it will be contesting against the ANC.

The party’s provincial leadership is currently preparing branches to go to an elective provincial congress in May. The SACP has long announced that it will contest local government elections separately from the ANC. At its national general council, the ANC discussed the dual membership issue and resolved that while tackling the issue, SACP members who hold ANC membership would not sit in the ANC’s election strategy meetings.

First published by IOL