'SACP contest of the elections does not abandon the alliance' - Mapaila

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has taken a dim view of what it has labelled as victimisation by some in the African National Congress (ANC), as the alliance partners prepare to square off at the local government elections.

The communist party put itself on a collision course with the ANC when it confirmed it would contest next year’s elections independently, after years of endorsing the ANC at the polls.

The move raised concerns about the worsening relationship between the two parties, who form the tripartite alliance with the Congress of South AfricanTrade Unions (COSATU).

But the SACP and ANC both insist the reconfiguration of the alliance is still on the table to avoid a complete collapse of the historical alliance.

On Sunday, SACP General Secretary Solly Mapaila briefed the media on the outcomes of the party’s augmented central committee meeting in Boksburg, eastof Johannesburg.

“The SACP contest of the elections does not abandon the alliance but seeks to restore working class initiative, halt electoral decline, and strengthen the strategic coherence of the movement. The victimisation of SACP members by certain elements in the ANC is unacceptable and must stop.”

Speaking at the KwaZulu-Natal provincialgeneral council in Durban this past weekend, ANC NEC member Dickson Masemola also addressed concerns about the rift.

“We believe very strongly that ourselves, together with the SACP, notwithstanding what could be the contemporary areas of divergence, it does not necessarily suggest that we are enemies. Those are inherent political contradictions, understandably so, that require management, leadership, and therefore resolution.”