ANC believes there's no 'theoretical basis' for SACP to contest elections alone
JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) believes there is no 'theoretical basis' for the SA Communist Party (SACP) contesting elections alone.
Last year, the SACP resolved to no longer contest elections under the ANC umbrella.
The ANC has criticised the decision, saying it will split the alliance vote and benefit opposition parties, while the Communist Party says it wants more influence in the direction of the country.
ALSO READ: SACP to contest local govt elections 'to advance working class, not as alternative to GNU'
Speaking at the Chris Hani regional conference in the Eastern Cape on Friday, ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula says if the SACP wants more of its councillors to be on the deployment lists, that can be resolved.
'I know comrades from the Communist Party are always arguing that there is a theoretical basis to their contest, but I need to be educated on it. What is the theoretical basis of this contest? What is this hurry that now we have reached the point where the party can stand on its own, and it believes that will be favourable to the democratic forces in the NDR (National Democratic Revolution), how will that strengthen us?'
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Most African traditions dictate that we speak only good of the dead — that we mourn their passing, honour their memory, and adorn their graves with flowers. Image: AFP I PREFACE this piece with a disclaimer: I seldom indulge in vituperative or arresting titles. Yet, I have chosen this provocation deliberately — to send an unequivocal message. Typically, my writing seeks to nourish my readers' intellect, lighting a candle whose flame, God willing, will endure as a beacon for posterity. Most African traditions dictate that we speak only good of the dead — that we mourn their passing, honour their memory, and adorn their graves with flowers. It is thus jarring, even heretical, to encounter a work like Rotcod Gobata's *I Spit on Their Graves*, which rejects this reverence. Gobata argues that not all corpses deserve praise; some warrant contempt for lives spent plundering their nation. Recently, I was honoured to attend MEC Siboniso Duma's budget presentation in the legislature — an uncommon privilege for a government employee. The MEC even acknowledged me publicly, leaving me feeling valued, validated, and even celebrated. Yet, my elation soon curdled into dismay. The ANC, IFP, and MK Party must unite. Instead of collaborating to uplift the downtrodden, they prioritise petty political squabbles. During the budget debate, rather than engaging constructively with Duma's impeccable speech — one so robust it withstood scrutiny in under 20 minutes — they nitpicked pointlessly. This farce cannot continue. KwaZulu-Natal deserves better. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ If these parties fail to reconcile, history will judge them harshly. Their graves will be defiled by the very people they betrayed. Our democracy is decaying, reduced to hollow rhetoric. South Africa is losing its soul. As Gobata writes, we resemble a battered car careening recklessly down a highway. Thirty years into democracy, our economy remains hoarded by a few, corruption runs rampant, and factionalism festers. This morning, I awoke to a haunting chorus: Where is the Love You Promised Me? Few pains rival broken promises — they are betrayals. Shakespeare reminds us: 'The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.' South Africans, too, bear responsibility. We clamour for change yet elect the same charlatans. If we truly desired transformation, we would have achieved it by now. As for Duma, he must persist in his exemplary leadership. Rosalynn Carter once said: 'A great leader takes people where they ought to be.' In an era of bankrupt leadership, Duma stands apart — a rarity in our political wasteland. He embodies Harry Truman's assertion that progress hinges on courageous leaders seizing opportunities. Like Kissinger's ideal leader, Duma guides people 'from where they are to where they have not been'. Leadership, after all, is action, not position. * Dr Vusi Shongwe works in the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture in KwaZulu-Natal and writes in his personal capacity. ** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, IOL, or Independent Media.
