SACP sticks to its guns on going it alone in polls

The Citizen

16 hours ago

The SACP says corruption, privatisation, and governance decay forced its move to contest elections independently.
Supporters of the South African Communist Party march through Braamfontein against gender-based violence, 21 August 2022. Picture: Michel Bega
Amid swelling criticism from the ANC leadership, the South African Communist Party (SACP) will not reverse its decision to participate independently in the forthcoming local government elections, it says.
The party, which has been in a long-term alliance with the ANC and Congress of SA Trade Unions, believes contesting for state power is necessary in light of the ANC's continued implementation of the neoliberal agenda.
The party described its decision as a 'tactical shift in our electoral strategy', saying it realised that, over time, the gains of millions of people had increasingly been undermined by the neoliberal policies of the ANC.
Tactical shift in SACP's electoral strategy
The party cited corporate class capture of key state positions or sections by office bearers, public representatives, public sector officials and board members in public entities, among others.
It objected to outsourcing or privatisation of public sector functions, abuse of state tenders, corruption, governance decay and failure to serve the people in favour of public interests.
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'A direct electoral contest is not a break from our strategic goals but a tactical reconfiguration of our electoral strategy,' the party said.
It noted that 'forming part of the alliance was never meant to compromise the SACP's independence and mission of implementing the national democratic revolution and socialism.
'All alliance partners are independent formations – and none is part of the alliance to postpone or compromise its independence and historical mission.
Shared strategic objectives
'We have come together as allies to pursue our shared strategic objectives,' the party said.
Political analyst George Tsibani said the tone of the SACP statement diverged from its characteristic ideology and tone.
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'A quintessential Marxist-Leninist organisation, the SACP's foundational principles revolve around class struggle and the pivotal role of the working class in achieving socialism. The text in question lacks this distinct tone,' Tsibani said.
He said the party was divorcing itself from its main task in the national democratic revolution. The SACP's primary focus areas encompass gender-based violence, community mobilisation and radical policy changes.
In stark contrast, the given text concentrates on regime change, black fashionable political parties and the role of the DA, he added. Voting for the SACP would be tantamount to donating votes to the DA.
Vote for regime change
'A vote for the SACP is a vote for regime change,' Tsibani said.
The party is coming under attack from the ANC top brass for the decision it formalised at its special national congress last year.
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Among critics was ANC national chair Gwede Mantashe, a former SACP national chair.
He said by contesting the election separately, the party had deviated from the 'black republic thesis' that stated there would not be socialism in SA while the black majority were still under oppression.
'Black republic thesis'
He said it was a common view of all SACP leaders that the party must not neglect the ANC's mass base. If the party moved away from that mass base, it would be giving away its own advantage.
'The SACP must be located in the mass base, the ANC, and influence it while theorising on the revolution framework and while we resolve our differences.'