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Party’s leaders are calling for its upcoming special national congress to be an elective one ‘in the interests of our revolution’.
Top SA Communist Party (SACP) leaders could be on borrowed time amid calls for a leadership change when the party heads to a special national congress in December.
The provincial structure in the Western Cape has come out as the first to openly call for the special national congress to be an elective one as part of a bid to “renew” the organisation.
Provincial secretary Benson Nqentsu told City Press that following robust discussions within structures, a decision had been taken to make the call given the “current state of affairs and the state of the party”.
“There is [also] a need to renew the party in terms of leadership and thus we resolve that this should be an elective special national congress which will prepare for the centenary and beyond for 2021 local government elections,” Nqentsu said.
“We are quite optimistic that the call which the Western Cape is making, for the upcoming special national congress to be an elective congress, will emerge as the dominant view.”
The party’s 2017 elective congress had resolved that the SACP should “actively contest elections” and that the “special national congress of the SACP must receive a comprehensive report on the road map process and resolve on the way forward”.
Part of the road map also included an extensive consultative process within the alliance and civil society.
City Press understands that some in the party believe that it will never contest elections with the current leadership, who do not have the “appetite” for it.
Nqentsu said that it would be up to the special national congress to make that call.
“Real or perceived, from time to time we are told that the only time we talk about contesting elections is when contradictions are sharpening within the ANC or there are fallouts. It is something we must dispel theoretically and practically. It is a principle: every revolution is about state power. The SACP contesting in elections does not in any way suggest abandonment of the national democratic revolution or the splitting of the ANC.”
He also insisted that the call was in no way targeting any particular leaders.
“Some of us joined the party under the very same people who are leading it. We were inspired by this leadership core. So this is not anti any personality, but in the interests of the party, our people and our revolution.”
The likes of Blade Nzimande – who has served as general secretary for more than 20 years – and Thulas Nxesi will likely be shown the door, should structures agree to a change of leadership.
City Press understands that among the names of those who have been touted to take up key positions are Solly Mapaila and David Masondo.
At the 2017 congress, Mapaila was forced to dissuade his supporters from chanting his name.
So tense was that congress that, at one point, Mapaila announced that he would not be available for any position.
He was later persuaded to stand for the position of first deputy general secretary, succeeding Jeremy Cronin.
Mapaila is also on record as saying that he would never contest Nzimande.
Nqentsu said that engagements were under way with other provincial structures, adding that those who opposed the elective nature of the congress cited the upcoming ANC national general council.
“They have been saying things like, ‘Aren’t you setting a precedent for our detractors within the movement?’”
He also warned that the SACP needed to confront notions that it was being led by the nose, where its powerful alliance partner was concerned.
“The SACP must not appear to be tailing behind the movement and ANC government. The party must be able to take a clear stance: it must be critical of this government of ours. It must also be complimentary. But you can’t be over-complimentary and allow wrong forces to be the ones criticising the movement.”
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