Durban - The possibility of the SACP possibly contesting for state power on its own resurfaced at the weekend, when the Young Communist League (YCL) held a rally in Durban.
Speaking at the rally, YCL national secretary, Mluleki Dlelanga, said communists should take clear decisions on whether to contest the local government elections next year at their special national congress later this year.
He said the debate on the SACP capturing state power should be considered in the wake of the 6 percent electoral support enjoyed by the Economic Freedom Fighters, whose project he described as “anarchy”.
“We don’t say we want to leave the alliance. The question is: is it not a right time to test our strength in local government elections?” Dlelanga asked.
He also said the congress should make a determination on the ANC elective congress to be held in 2017.
“We should not come out of that special national congress not knowing which way we are going,” he said, to applause.
Dlelanga made the statements in the presence of Cosatu deputy president Zingiswa Losi, SACP provincial secretary Themba Mthembu, SACP veteran Stalin Mtshali and leaders from the Progressive Youth Alliance formations.
Mthembu told the Daily News on Sunday that he understood Dlelanga’s statement as an attempt by the YCL to resuscitate the state power debate informed by current political developments, where parties like the EFF enjoyed an electoral base.
“We will engage them when they officially introduce the proposal. We’ll wait and engage them responsibly,” he said.
The debate on the SACP contesting local government elections dates back to the early 2000s, but it was shelved as the party chose to push for its members to swell the ranks of the ANC, and its leaders being considered for deployments to influence the direction of the government towards socialism.
Dlelanga expressed concern at the state of affairs in Parliament, where, he said, Zuma was on the receiving end of insults from the EFF, among others. “We are prepared to dirty our hands in defence of democracy,” he said, adding that the YCL would be campaigning for the ANC in the municipal elections.
Also speaking at the rally, Losi said the youth should pre-occupy themselves with analysing the current challenges and ideas for the future than about who was in leadership.
She told the youths that the contribution to the struggle was not only through holding leadership positions.
“We should not be emotional with the struggle. Don’t personalise it because you will come back and apologise,” she said, in reference to former Cosatu boss Zwelinzima Vavi, who last week apologised to former president Thabo Mbeki for his role in ousting him as ANC leader in 2007.
Daily News