The so-called “blue-light” SACP leaders are allegedly cocking a snook at the party’s conference resolution to contest elections independent of the ANC, and are now lobbying their comrades to continue working with Africa’s oldest liberation movement.
Sunday World can reveal their decision to break ranks has split opinion, with those who have suddenly somersaulted being accused of being Judases who are afraid of
losing their plum ministerial jobs and the perks that come with the jobs, which include blue lights and bodyguards.
The situation has been worsened by an ANC that has drawn a line in the sand to exclude SACP cadres from its election strategy meetings.
An SACP member who did not want to be named said the top brass of the self-proclaimed vanguard of the working-class is divided into factions – the “blue-light” brigade forming part of the government of national unity and “amaKomanisi okuqina” (hardline communists), who are not in government.
The AmaKomanisi okuqina faction is led by the party’s general secretary Solly
Mapaila and is insistent on protecting the December 2024 special congress resolution not to support the ANC in the local elections next year and the 2029 general elections.
The grouping, which laments that the ANC has betrayed the people of South Africa by going into bed with the DA, has since set in motion the SACP’s own “wall-to-wall” election campaign, separate of that of the party of Nelson Mandela.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are the likes of Minister of Science and
Technology Blade Nzimande, Deputy Minister of Finance David Masondo and Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela, who are adamant the SACP lacks a significant support base to go at it alone.
The position of this grouping is said to be influenced by the plum jobs and blue lights it enjoys in government as ministers through the ANC card, positions which the governing
party is threatening to take away if the SACP defines itself as its electoral opponent.
“The likes of [SACP deputy national chairperson] Thulas Nxesi and [SACP first deputy general secretary] Madala Masuku were angry they did not make it to parliament and thus align with Solly (Mapaila),” a highly placed source explained.
SACP spokesperson Mbulelo Mandlana shut down the assertion that there were chasms in the party. “As far as we are concerned, this matter [of SACP contesting elections independently] is closed,” he said.
Last Monday, the SACP held a bilateral meeting where ANC secretary-general Fikile
Mbalula presented a report that emphasised the importance of the two parties finding common ground. The ANC believes that their shared history is enough to find creative ways to collaborate next year. There is also a general concern that the SACP’s participation could contribute to the further decline of the ANC.
Sunday World understands that Mapaila, in this meeting, put his foot down, charging that the SACP will not renege on a conference decision to go solo.
The SACP, however, does not want to sever ties with the ANC, despite its special congress resolution. “Blade was chairing the meeting of the bilateral and allowed Solly to give the party message. Solly was unequivocal that we can discuss many issues, but the one of contesting elections independently was not up for discussion,” according to a mole who attended the meeting.
SACP spin-doctor Mandlana emphasised the same stance, saying that the SACP “cannot be persuaded” to abandon its plan to contest elections.
“There was indeed a bilateral as you say, between the communist party and ANC. We agreed on some principles that we should not treat it as an anomaly that the SACP will contest elections. There should not be political punishment that goes towards it; this must be treated with maturity and not public spats,” he said.
The other SACP faction, not sold on antagonising the ANC, has proposed a regime of modalities. The first model would see candidates from both organisations contesting under one umbrella, similar to how members of the Progressive Youth Alliance vie for positions
under the SA Student’s Congress at universities.
The other would be to include primaries, which would see SACP members also competing to be councillor candidates through the ANC selection process, which is decided by communities. But that proposal has been slammed as a desperate attempt to circumvent the congressional resolution.
The ANC, on the other hand, is steaming ahead with excluding SACP leaders from its meetings to discuss election strategy as was the case at the elections workshop held in Alberton on April 12-13.
“SACP must give us the space to plot in peace. What we are trying to impress is that we respect them and their resolution, and they must return that favour to the ANC. You cannot have a secretary of the party coming to an election strategy workshop of the ANC and then they leave, that is how Jacob Zuma killed the ANC in the 2024 national elections.”
