SACP snubs GNU celebrations

‘We have rejected the invitation,’ says general secretary Solly Mapaila

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has rejected an invitation to the government of national unity (GNU) 100-day celebrations.  

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, general secretary Solly Mapaila said the SACP, a tripartite alliance partner of the ANC and Cosatu, was invited to attend the ANC-hosted event at Luthuli House in Johannesburg on Monday.

“We have rejected the invitation. It feels sad but we will not be going,” Mapaila said.  

The party has voiced disapproval of the DA's inclusion in the GNU governing bloc, saying it believed the EFF's political ideologies aligned better with those of the ANC. 

The SACP held a three-day meeting of the central executive committee at the weekend and defended Mapaila against criticism from some ANC leaders.   

“While reaffirming that our critical posture towards the GNU is different from adopting an opposition stance towards the ANC, the central committee emphasised our unwavering right to oppose and mobilise against a rightward shift in government policy, as in its composition. However, in no particular way does this mean we must or will accept the wrong things to propagate or advance in the name of the ANC,” the SACP statement read. 

“To give practical effect to this immediately, the central committee strongly denounced the conduct of ANC national officials who, in seeking to justify their embrace of the right-wing and neoliberal DA in the GNU coalition arrangement, embarked on misinterpreting facts about our party and general secretary, Mapaila, also seeking to isolate him from the SACP.

“For the record, Mapaila is not the so-called 'lone voice'. As our general secretary, he correctly led the charge in advancing our stance regarding the right-wing-including GNU coalition arrangement.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa in his newsletter on Monday expressed confidence in the GNU.

“Just over 100 days have passed since the members of the GNU were sworn into office. In that time, we have witnessed a marked increase in confidence in the direction of our country,” he said.

“South Africans across society are increasingly rallying about the programme and work of the government of national unity. This is reflected in recent opinion polls.   

“In one poll, conducted by Ipsos, it is said the proportion of participants who believe the country is heading in the right direction has doubled since the last surveys were conducted in April and June this year.   

“There is also rising confidence in our country’s economic growth prospects by business and local and international investors. This was evident in the engagements I recently had with business leaders in Beijing and New York and which Deputy President Paul Mashatile had with business leaders in London.” 

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