SACP plans solo run in 2026 as ANC faces new threat
Supporters of the South African Communist Party march through Braamfontein against gender-based violence, 21 August 2022. Picture: Michel Bega
As the 2026 local government elections approach, the ANC is concerned about the SA Communist Party's (SACP) move to contest separately, or potentially challenge, the ANC in the upcoming elections.
However, an expert believes the SACP's alliance with the ANC could prove to be an Achilles heel for the party.
The ANC's transgressions could be revisited upon the small socialist party, with voters punishing it for tolerating the ANC's neoliberal policies that adversely affected the poor.
SACP alliance with ANC could prove to be Achilles heel
Besides, said an expert, the party may fail to amass much support like in the 2016 election – in Metsimaholo, Free State – because voters will not take it seriously.
Last week, the SACP reiterated its position, taken as a resolution at its national congress in December, that it will stand alone in the local government elections.
Initially, some analysts had been in doubt about the party's intention to go it alone, arguing such a move had always been on the SACP's agenda but failed to materialise as the party always changed its mind.
ALSO READ: SACP's solo election run won't hurt ANC, analyst says
But following SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila's reiteration of the decision, analysts said the party was not a real threat to the ANC because it lacks the numbers.
Political analyst and scholar Dominic Maphaka, from NorthWest University, said the SACP resolution to contest elections alone 'will not affect the ANC'.
'An in-depth analysis of the SACP demonstrates that the party has no constituents that can affect the ANC if they stand for elections,' said Maphaka.
Party doesn't have contituents that can affect the ANC
'The SACP has spent many years defocusing and demobilising itself by aligning with the ANC, which prioritises neoliberal policies.'
He said the SACP's 'socialist ideological basis to draw the hearts and minds of voters will fall on deaf ears'.
'Many South Africans will not take the SACP seriously. If anything, the party would fail to amass much support,' he said.
ALSO READ: EFF slams Presidency's silence around Mashatile shooting incident
Coalitions worldwide have crumbled, some as far back as the 1930s in Germany, and that this continues to this day, he said.
The cause was often ideological differences, including policy implementation, something that threatens South Africa's own 10-party government of national unity, he said.
The party, which renewed its registration at the Electoral Commission of South Africa, described its participation in the elections as 'contesting for power'.
'Contesting for power'
In preparation for its campaign, the SACP launched 'The Peoples' Red Caravan' last week. The campaign was themed 'The People's Movement for SelfReliance and Sustainability'.
The observers regard the Red Caravan initiative as a final stamp in the party's position to go it alone under its Soviet-styled hammer and circle banner, plus black star banner.
Some party grassroots structures have begun to prepare the media by carrying SACPspecific messages, including election T-shirts and caps, banners, and leaflets – an indicator that the stand-alone decision will not be reversed this time around.
ALSO READ: Hani family slams 'imposters' allegedly pretending to be related to struggle hero
Political analyst Dirk Kotzé said the history of left-wing parties in South Africa wasn't good, as they performed poorly and had minimal following.
The SACP votes would come in the major urban centres and mining areas. Rather than compete with the ANC, he said, the party would compete with the EFF, which had the best record in membership and electoral performance.
'I don't think the SACP will really be able to manage nationwide local elections, which are much more demanding as they need organisational presence in each town or place where it is contesting,' said Kotzé.
Votes would come in major urban centres, mining areas
'Local elections need a local organisation and I don't think the SACP has got that.'
But one thing is for sure, he said, 'any poll victory for the SACP would be a loss for the ANC, which will also lose votes to other parties'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
ANC NEC meeting to discuss US tariffs 'will not resolve Trump's beef with the party'
Political analysts say the ANC National Executive Committee is wasting its time in discussing the US 30% tariff imposed on South Africa's exports. Image: File Picture Political analysts warn that the ANC is unlikely to resolve its differences with the US over the impending 30% tariff on South African exports, as the party held its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Johannesburg at the weekend. The tariff is expected to take effect on August 7, as announced by the Trump administration on Thursday. South Africa is the only country from sub-Saharan Africa singled out in the announcement, reflecting the US's strained relationship with Pretoria. Other African nations, including Lesotho and Zimbabwe, have been hit with a 15% tariff, which will also come into effect in seven days. The decision is a huge blow to South Africa, as the US is its second-biggest trading partner and comes despite trying to agree a trade deal with the US, which included buying US liquefied natural gas, simplifying rules for poultry imports and investing in US industries like mining. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ On Saturday, ANC NEC member Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa told journalists that there had been a focused discussion on the US tariffs, describing it as 'spirited and robust'. Ramokgopa said the negotiations between South Africa and the US were ongoing, adding that both countries would be able to find each other. However, political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu said although the NEC was expected to talk about the issue, there is not much that the ANC can do. He said Trump was not happy with many things including domestic and foreign policies. 'The ANC needs to figure out how to deal with generally hostile Republican administrations, and the Trump administration, in particular. Trump's beef with the ANC centres around domestic and foreign policies. On the domestic front, Trump is unhappy with the Expropriation bill, BEE and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). "On foreign policy, Trump is bitter about the decision to take Israel to the ICJ (International Court of Justice),'' Ndlovu said, adding that the time has come for the ANC to stop confusing its interests as the country's interests. 'I don't see the ANC coming up with any solution here. It is caught between a rock and a hard place,'' he said. US-South Africa relations have hit rock-bottom since Trump took office in January. The US President stopped all aid to South Africa, accusing it of discriminating against its white minority. South Africa has repeatedly denied this. Ramaphosa held talks with Trump in May in a bid to mend relations but this failed to make any headway. In July, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a bill to review the US-South Africa relations due to objections over its foreign policy and potentially imposing sanctions on senior ANC leaders. The bill accuses the ANC of undermining US interests by maintaining close relationships with Russia and China, which are among its allies and trading partners. It also accuses South Africa of backing Palestinian militant group Hamas in its conflict in Gaza with Israel- an accusation South Africa has denied. Last week, Trump indicated he did not plan to attend the G20 summit taking place later this year in Johannesburg. Another political analyst, Ntsikelelo Breakfast, said the ANC is wasting time discussing the tariff imposed by the US, adding that there is nothing the party can do to avoid the situation. 'There is no way out here. The European Union (EU) signed for 15% this week, and who are we if the EU can give in. I thought we were able to convince Trump and his administration after the meeting in May but clearly Trump did not buy it and now there is legislation to sanction ANC leaders, said Breakfast, adding that this means Trump has taken a hard stance towards South Africa and the ANC. Breakfast said that Trump's threat to skip the G20 summit also cemented his position about South Africa, saying 'this is a smack in the face'. Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said the US's quarrel with South Africa goes beyond the alleged white genocide and that an appreciation of the basis of the quarrel would help in the crafting of an appropriate response. 'No amount of public relations exercise or photo opportunities that Ramaphosa loves so much will resolve South Africa's varied problems,' he said.
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
'Sick and tired of attending meaningless meetings with the ANC' -Solly Mapaila on why the SACP wants to contest elections
SA Communist Party general secretary Solly Mapaila has hinted that the party may contest the 2029 elections. Image: File SACP Secretary-General Solly Mapaila said plans are still on track for the party to contest the 2029 general elections alone, citing its frustration with holding meaningless meetings with its alliance party, the ANC. Speaking at the party's 104th birthday celebration in KwaDlangezwa community hall outside eMpangeni north of KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday, Mapaila said the 2022 congress resolution concluded that the party must contest elections. Defending the congress resolution, Mapaila said the decision was taken because the party was tired of holding meaningless meetings with its alliance party, the ANC, since it was not implementing things the alliance had agreed upon in the meetings. Mapaila said that the ANC was arrogant, telling the SACP to take it or leave it. He said that when Jacob Zuma ascended to the ANC and state presidency in 2009, the SACP asked him to give the party at least one department, adding that the party asked for Arts and Culture because it wanted to protect and promote indigenous languages. Mapaila said the departments that had been allocated to the SACP meant nothing because the party ministers still ran those departments under ANC control and the minister could not make much difference. He said people are addressed in English even if they don't understand because the government has failed to promote indigenous languages, adding that indigenous languages have been forgotten in the country. 'The problem here is that we meet and agree on something, however, we don't see the implementation of things we agreed upon as the alliance, so I'm sick and tired of attending meaningless meetings. If you go to the meeting with the people you know will not implement what you agreed upon, there is something wrong with you,' said Mapaila. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading He specified the ANC's failure to bring land back to the people as the main reason for the poverty among black people, which necessitated the party's decision to contest state power. "The time for working class representation in the state has come. The reason people are poor is because their land was taken away and no one is bringing their land back into their hands. "We cannot accept that and if you accept that please review your communism. We can't nurse each other's feelings. I'm sick and tired of attending meaningless meetings. We meet and we agree but nothing happens,' said Mapaila. Furthermore, he said the SACP will never leave the tripartite alliance since it assisted in its founding. He also slammed the ANC for blaming him for the decision to contest elections independently, saying he personally did not support the idea, however, he had to align himself as it was a congress decision. 'I did not agree with this decision but I had to accept the congress resolution. District secretaries knew that I did not support it,' said Mapaila. the SACP's strong ally, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said its upcoming congress will decide whether they stick with the ANC or go with the SACP. The SACP leadership also on Sunday laid a wreath at the grave of the late struggle veteran, Riot Mkhwanazi. SA Communist Party general secretary Solly Mapaila has hinted that the party may contest 2029 elections. Image: File
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
Critique of South Africa's economic policies: A call for change
Professor Sandile Swana, Principal Consultant at the Centre for Strategic Leadership, has condemned governmental policies as "anti-Black", asserting that these strategies are exacerbating the country's existing economic crisis rather than alleviating it. Image: Bloomberg In critiquing South Africa's economic landscape, Professor Sandile Swana, Principal Consultant at the Centre for Strategic Leadership, has condemned governmental policies as "anti-Black", asserting that these strategies were exacerbating the country's existing economic crisis rather than alleviating it. Swana highlighted the systemic challenges facing Black South Africans, particularly in light of the alarming rate of unemployment ravaging especially the African and 'Coloured' communities. 'The South African eco-system is anti-Black,' he stated, arguing that the macroeconomic policies of the elected government and the Government of National Unity (GNU) have perpetuated conditions ripe for despair. Swana's remarks underlined a broader societal malaise. 'Black men are being emasculated and incarcerated, and our youth are in a perpetual drug-induced stupor,' he said in calling for a radical re-examination of the support structures available for young Black men. He lamented the absence of role models akin to the revered figures of the past like Steve Biko and Oliver Tambo. 'We need to produce them,' he insisted. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Swana also proposed that a Black Peoples Convention might be necessary to address crucial issues surrounding wealth creation, productivity, morality, and heritage. 'We cannot outsource that to anyone else,' he firmly stated, advocating for a community-led approach to long-term viability and cultural integrity. Labour expert Michael Bagraim echoed similar sentiments, highlighting that South Africa has faced over three decades of diminishing returns in employment figures. 'Current policies are failing citizens miserably,' Bagraim asserted, pinpointing the last fifteen years as particularly detrimental, with many industries on the verge of collapse. Bagraim pushed for a fundamental rethink of these policies, proposing that a collaborative dialogue between government and business could reshape the current labour landscape. Drawing attention to the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac), he emphasised its capabilities in fostering discussions aimed at restructuring the labour legal framework: 'We already have a body that is set up especially for dialogue.' Pointing out the changing dynamics of the economic system, Bagraim also noted that proposed amendments to the Labour Relations Act and Basic Conditions of Employment Act could be pivotal for addressing regulatory burdens. 'We need to de-regulate the small business environment,' he said, arguing that job creation was heavily reliant on the burgeoning small business sector. As calls for deregulation and reduced government oversight intensify, Bagraim's conclusion stands stark: pursuing alternative community dialogues may merely waste time and resources, rather than bring tangible change. DAILY NEWS
