SACP shifts position on contesting elections independently

The Communists want an ANC-led alliance of equals and not of seniors and juniors, according to its general secretary.

SACP General Secretary Blade Nzimande addresses delegates at the 14th National SACP Conference at the Birchwood Hotel, Johannesburg. The conference began it’s first day in full session with blistering criticism of the ANC and state capture. Picture: Yeshiel Panchia

Despite adopting a resolution to contest the 2019 elections independently, the SA Communist Party (SACP) has declared it still wants to engage as equals and not as an extension of any of its allied formations.

Closing the SACP’s 14th national congress in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni at the weekend, general secretary Blade Nzimande said they hoped all their allies would take the same stance – that it’s an alliance of equals and not of seniors and juniors.

“We also hope we will engage honestly and frankly and our approach will be determined by one and only one thing – taking our revolution forward. We must not be expected to engage as beggars, as if we are seeking jobs and we say this from experience.

“… we don’t boast as the communist party, but it was out of our 1929 resolution that we have this alliance today and we are still committed to it but it will have to operate differently,” he said.

Nzimande stressed that the national democratic revolution is the terrain of all alliance partners.

“We are not an alliance for ourselves and the revolution is too important to be left with one alliance partner alone or to some individuals or worse, to factions. How the revolution must be carried out, through the state, including the legislation policy regulations programmes, and who must be deployed where, must be a collective alliance responsibility.

“This requires the unity and cohesion of the alliance and the involvement of all alliance components. We have entered a very complicated political period in the history of our revolution and the country,” he said.

“We must not have passengers in the party and must remove all passengers from positions of leadership, too. The most important message is we have to go all out and strengthen all our structures at all levels,” he added.

– stevent@ citizen.co.za