For the first time, the ANC and SACP will not share an election strategy.
The South African Communist Party (SACP) has rubbished claims that it will not be able to campaign for the upcoming local government elections because of a lack of financial muscle.
This comes after utterances by some ANC leaders that the SACP will not be able to mobilise enough resources and funds to contest the ANC and other parties.
The party has not backed down on its plans to contest elections without the ANC for the first time.
The Citizen this week spoke to the party’s spokesperson, Mbulelo Mandlana, who explained how the party would raise funds for their campaign.
“The communist is not a wealthy organisation for obvious reasons, being a communist party in a capitalist country.
“Despite this, the SACP is making all efforts to prepare for elections, focusing on its ties with communities as a key determinant of its success, as opposed to seeking and relying on commercially inclined options.
“Yet the SACP will embark on resource mobilisation for its election campaign, and this will be done in a manner compliant with the party principles and code of ethics,” said Mandlana.
Dual membership
Another obstacle the SACP faces is that many of its members are also members of the ANC. This might present a dilemma when they are expected to campaign for the party.
“From where the SACP stands, our members have a certain moral duty towards the party, just as they have a certain standard of political discipline towards the party.
“We have confidence that any and all members of the party have the requisite political standing to be reliable in its election campaign processes.
“To that end, the question of dual membership with the ANC represents no objective crisis for the SACP,” he said.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the party has been at pains trying to convince the SACP to abandon its plans to contest elections.
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Is the tripartite alliance falling apart?
Speaking to the media in the West Rand earlier this week, he described the SACP’s decision as a disaster for the tripartite alliance.
“We are not in agreement because that decision is not going to strengthen us. This will just attract opportunist and many other forces that seeks to derail the National Democratic Revolution (NDR).
“This will not sustain and strengthen the communist party agenda of socialism, it’s not…The communist party to us has been a vanguard that functions and operates with the acceptance of the ANC as a vanguard liberation movement, and the party has accepted that particular role,” he said.
SACP vs ANC councillors
Mbalula said those who hold dual membership and wish to stand for election as councillors would be in a difficult position.
“This decision to contest elections means that if you stand as a ward councillor in a ward, you stand as an identical opposite to the ANC; it brings into question duality,” he said.
ANC roll call
Meanwhile, the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) is expected to meet with all its councillors this weekend in a roll call to engage with them on matters of service delivery and the upcoming elections.
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