The SACP augmented central committee has agreed to contest the 2024 national elections and any other by-elections “with an effective and reconfigured alliance” with its partners, including the ANC.
The party shared a list of points it needed to urgently discuss for a consensus with its alliance partners, the ANC and Cosatu, and further revealed that should a satisfactory reconfigured alliance not materialise, the SACP will move towards a popular “left front” as an electoral modality.
“Furthermore, on a case-by-case basis, the lower structures of the party will make motivations for the party to stand independently for the by-elections,” it said.
In a press briefing by the SACP, general secretary Solly Mapaila explained that a reconfiguration meant a common alliance commitment to defend and advance the National Democratic Revolution (NDR), based on the vision of the Freedom Charter.
The briefing followed the SACP’s annual augmented central committee meeting which was held over this past weekend in Johannesburg. The committee was convened to finalise the outstanding task of the central committee given by the resolution from the SACP 15th National Congress on State and Popular Power and Electoral Considerations.
Mapaila said that, in addition, the SACP plans to engage alliance partners for a consensus around:
– a common analysis of the socio-economic conditions facing the working-class and poor, followed by a common socio-economic approach programme; manifesto development; and its joint implementation by an adequately inclusive alliance leadership in Parliament, provincial legislatures, Cabinet, provincial executive councils, municipal councils, and mayoral committees.
– conduct of alliance candidates based on common alliance discipline during the campaign, as well as alliance public representatives and office-bearers afterwards
– provisions enabling elected SACP representatives to articulate independent perspectives in Parliament, provincial legislatures, and municipal councils within the framework of a reconfigured alliance
– accountability of elected alliance representatives, as well as of SACP members to the party, just as ANC members are expected to be accountable to the ANC, and their people
– a common approach and binding democratic consensus-seeking consultation to coalitions when it becomes necessary to seek coalition partners post-elections based on the results of the election.
Mapaila said that in the next few weeks and months, the SACP’s position on contesting elections will be the focus of its engagements within the alliance, with the ANC and Cosatu, and by extension to mass organisations of youth, women, civics, religious, and so on.
“We will also engage our communities and the broader organised workers,” he said.
In the next few weeks and months, the SACP said it planned on working towards repositioning its liberation movement to turn the corner and accelerate the transformation of the material living conditions of the people.
“We need to immediately cushion the working class and South Africans against hyper-inflationary associated with high food prices, higher energy costs and thus increasing the cost of living for the working class and poor,” Mapaila said.
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