Tensions between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Solly Mapaila, General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP), have reached a pronounced peak amid a longstanding fallout over their divergent views on alliances in the political landscape. With both parties grappling with an increasingly fragmented political environment, their latest interaction has revealed just how far apart they have drifted.
The two leaders, who have largely avoided engagement in recent months, found themselves on the same platform during an emotional commemoration ceremony for late struggle icon and former SACP leader Joe Slovo at Avalon Cemetery in Soweto. The event, intended to honour Slovo’s legacy, served as a telling backdrop to the ideological rifts currently challenging the unity of the liberation movements.
During the ceremony, Mapaila reaffirmed the SACP’s decision to contest elections as an independent entity. He passionately insisted that this strategy is not an attempt to erode the African National Congress (ANC) but is, rather, a necessary step to ensure the party remains an active participant in the democratic process. “This task, comrades, is not the intention to weaken any force of the alliance,” Mapaila declared. “To the contrary, our intention is to strengthen the alliance. Yes, in order to strengthen the alliance we cannot be outside observers when the situation is getting bad and very bad for our people.”
Mapaila’s statements came amid criticism suggesting that the SACP’s electoral independence reflects a betrayal to historical alliances, drawing parallels to former President Jacob Zuma’s formation of the MD Party, which has also drawn votes away from the ANC. Notably, Mapaila labelled Zuma as “anti-revolutionary” for this move, emphasising the importance of solidarity within the alliance, while simultaneously defending the SACP’s decision to step away from the ANC’s fold.
“We are not an enemy of the African National Congress,” insisted Mapaila, highlighting that dual membership within the alliance remains intact despite the rising tensions. This phrase reflects a complex ideological battle for the future of South African politics, as historical entities grapple with changing party dynamics and voter sentiments in an age of ever-advancing discontent.