Independent election bid won’t disrupt alliance dynamics: SACP
Spokesperson for the South African Communist Party, Mbulelo Mandlana, says the party’s decision to contest elections independently should not change the way the alliance has traditionally functioned.
Mandlana says the SACP remains confident that ongoing discussions within the alliance will strengthen relations and place the party in a positive position in Limpopo.
His remarks come as the SACP in Limpopo holds its provincial congress at Tivumbeni College in Nkowankowa, Tzaneen, this weekend.
Delegates are also expected to assess the party’s recent performance in local government by-elections and discuss strategies to strengthen its presence ahead of upcoming electoral contests.
SACP Spokesperson Mbulelo Mandlana says, “The delegates from different districts are still discussing. We anticipate that there will not be a leadership contest. That is what we anticipate given the conversations and the engagements between different districts. Because you will understand that a congress is a business of branches of the party, and the branches of the party in this instance are electing their own leaders”.
He adds that, “I can say confidently that we anticipate that there will be none. Until those conversations are concluded, I cannot announce to you who is going to be available for election in what position. However, we are confident that the discussions right now that are underway are putting us in good standing to ensure that we have a united congress, a united communist party in Limpopo so that whatever program the communist party is planning, we can execute them collectively”.
He further says, “I take that these are new leaders altogether, but some of the incumbent leaders are from the ANC. Well, that would be mis-speculating if I were to answer that. I think we must say, as a Communist Party, we don’t act to punish any comrade of the Communist Party who also holds a membership or even a leadership position of the ANC. That’s our point of departure, which is quite different to what the ANC secretary general has been announcing, that there must be people making public submissions to do this and that, which of course are complete anomalies in the way in which the alliance has always worked”.
Limpopo SACP holds provincial congress today
