The president carries a wreath of red flowers President Cyril Ramaphosa lays a wreath during the 30th commemorative event to remember late SACP leader Joe Slovo at the Avalon cemetery in Soweto on Monday. Picture: Timothy Bernard Independent Newspapers
AMID chants of ‘we do not want the GNU’, the relationship between the ANC and the DA found itself under the microscope yesterday during the South African Communist Party's (SACP) commemoration of Joe Slovo’s legacy at the Avalon Cemetery in Soweto.
Those attending said it was a poignant reminder of the political divisions that continue to shape the country's discourse.
Speaking at the event, President Cyril Ramaphosa, alongside SACP General Secretary Solly Mapaila and Cosatu leader Duncan Luvuno, paid tribute to Slovo's contribution as an anti-apartheid activist. Slovo was a founding member and later Chief of Staff of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
Mapaila did not shy away from criticising the DA, labelling them as “hyenas gunning to finish off the ANC”.
He voiced concerns over the Government of National Unity (GNU), warning Ramaphosa of the potential threat the coalition poses to his party's stability.
"We are aware of the reversals that are taking place at the strategic level," he said, expressing that the struggle against poverty is a significant challenge for the ANC.
Mapaila asserted that the SACP remains committed to contesting the 2026 local elections independently from the ANC, emphasising that this decision is aimed not at weakening the alliance but at strengthening it.
"We want working-class representation, that’s why we are contesting the 2026 elections," Mapaila declared emphatically.
Ramaphosa echoed these sentiments, saying: "The ANC has been a pillar of strength to the SACP. The SACP has been the strength behind the ANC."
He underscored the necessity of collaboration between the two entities in order to advance the National Democratic Revolution (NDR).
In another demonstration of deepening divisions within the ANC over the GNU, party Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula spoke about discipline in the party while addressing supporters in Cape Town yesterday, saying those who attack the party or criticised its leaders will be dealt with.
Speaking about the issue during a media briefing on the January 8 celebrations, Mbalula mentioned Tony Yengeni and Obed Bapela by name. Yengeni has been critical of Ramaphosa and also recently represented former party president Jacob Zuma in an internal disciplinary hearing of the ANC.
Bapela has come under fire over a "private family" trip to Morocco during which he was accused of falsely representing himself as an ANC delegate and contradicting the party’s stance on Morocco and its relationship with Algeria and Western Sahara.
Speaking on Yengeni, Mbalula said: "We will charge him, we will bring him before the disciplinary processes of the ANC. So that he explains himself in terms of his membership of the ANC. That's what is going to happen. Discipline in the ANC is important, I have seen other people on Twitter, leaders of the ANC tweeting things that bring the ANC into disrepute, they too will be attended (to) very soon."
He added that "raising views and ideas" was not a problem but attacking the organisation or casting aspersions on the leadership of the ANC will not be tolerated.
"We are aware that there are some provinces that have decided to ignore ill discipline as provincial leaderships of the ANC. And it falls to the national leadership to bring people who bring the organisation into disrepute to order. Tony Yengeni and Obed Bapela will be charged this year by the ANC disciplinary hearing."
Political analyst Thabani Khumalo said there are two ways to look at this posture by Mbalula.
“Firstly, it gives the impression that ANC leaders cannot be challenged by criticism in public, which can be seen as stifling internal democracy. Members might legitimately argue that their democratic rights are being infringed upon, suggesting that the ANC is no longer a democratic organisation.
“On the other hand, the party has internal processes that allow members to raise their grievances. While some members might argue they are being stifled internally, the Secretary-General (SG) is correct in this regard,” he said.
“The question that Mbalula needs to ask himself is why a senior member would go outside the internal structure to criticise publicly,” said Khumalo.
At the SACP event, Ramaphosa noted the importance of listening to diverse voices, reminding attendees that “our democracy, which Comrade Joe Slovo was one of its prime architects, is robust and allows us to hear all voices.”
The SACP also paid tribute to Slovo in a statement, saying his leadership was vital in the armed resistance against apartheid.
“His strategic brilliance and theoretical contributions shaped our revolutionary path.“
The SACP said as Slovo’s life was being commemorated, the pressing challenges affecting the working class in South Africa today must be confronted.
“The majority of our people live in dire poverty and in degrading conditions caused primarily and historically by monopoly capital, though not exclusively.
“Despite the recent decrease in the official unemployment rate to 32.1 percent in the third quarter of 2024, unemployment remains alarmingly high, with the expanded definition, which includes discouraged work seekers, at 41.9 percent.”
It said youth unemployment is particularly severe, with a rate of 45.5 percent among individuals aged 15-34 years.
“Poverty continues to plague our nation. As of 2024, approximately 13.2 million South Africans are living in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $2.15 per day, equivalent to R18.78 recently.”
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