The SACP resolved to contest elections individually from the ANC in its conference held in Johannesburg from 10-15 July 2017. (Photo:Oupa Nkosi/M&G)
The South African Communist Party (SACP) held its conference in Johannesburg from 10-15 July 2017 and some of the major discussions included state capture and the party's seemingly weakening relationship with the African National Congress (ANC) and the party’s ambitions to participate in the elections, the conference did not as expected aggressively put forward its preferred Presidential candidate. In its conference the SACP resolved to contest elections individually from the ANC.
One would view the party’s resolution to run in the election as meaningless as it did not stipulate which year it plans to contest the elections and simply for the reason that the SACP is taking this resolution for the second time and now blames the ANC’s Polokwane conference for not acting upon the resolution it took in its conference in 2007. The general secretary of the SACP Blade Nzimande has said that the date on which the party aims to contest the elections is not set because they need to consult their alliance partners. The general secretary claims there is no contradiction in the SACP resolving to contest the elections but still wanting to maintain the alliance. However anyone with half brain can tell that by the mere fact that they want to consult with the ANC is evidence of the contradiction of what the party claims to stand for and the independence and the exaggerated power or influence of the SACP.
Again, Blaze Nzimande argues that they cannot contest the elections without talking to the workers and Cosatu. However, the party is having this resolution for the second time and thus this argument makes little sense. The SACP again submitted that it still has faith in the ANC led alliance and is committed to re-establishing its purpose, how is that for a contradiction? Never mind that the SACP is supposed to have different ideological grounds that lead its structures and functions, one more contradiction is evident in the reluctance of the party to even consider its members giving up their sits in parliament to show how far it is willing to go to build the communist party it claims it is. Even if one would for one second put aside ideological arguments about the SACP, the party has little to show South Africans, there’s little evidence of what it can achieve without the ANC and thus one would be excused from greatly doubting the competence of the SACP in all forms while also considering the stature the party holds as the representation of the working class.
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