After 24 years on the helm of the South African Communist Party (SACP), Blade Nzimande has determined to not make himself accessible for re-election because the social gathering’s common secretary.
The SACP is at the moment holding its management elective convention, and Nzimande introduced early this week that he has nominated his deputy, Solly Mapaila to take over the reins.
His determination to bow out has, nonetheless, prompted discussions across the continued relevance of the SACP and their alliance with the ANC, as properly Nzimande’s legacy inside the social gathering.
Betrayal of those that elected him
Speaking to The Citizen about Nzimande and the SACP’s legacy, political analyst Dr Dale McKinley stated when Nzimande was first elected in 1998, the vast majority of those that elected him supported the concept that the SACP break free from the ANC, and stand as a celebration by itself.
“Blade had agreed to this in order to get the assist from seven provinces. But as quickly as he was elected, after all, he turned his again on that. The final 24 years has been an experiment in the futility of the SACP representing the working class, being a part of the ANC, and being captured by the ANC.
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“He (Nzimande) fundamentally betrayed the promise that was given by the younger generations and the constituencies that elected him at the party congress,” he stated.
McKinley is of the view that the trajectory of South African politics may have been radically totally different had Nzimande saved to the promise and the politics he was professing on the time.
“What he did was wasn’t a sellout, I don’t assume… It was merely a affirmation of his personal class and ideological politics, which was to orient, as so lots of the ex, extra Stalinist sort of SACP leaders had finished, to what I name existent political energy. In different phrases, political energy resides in the state, in capital, and in the ANC in this political organisational sense, and never in the folks. Not in the working class.
“The record of the last 24 years shows that this has been an abject failure. While there have been some progressive policies that have been adopted, I would argue those are mostly not as a result of the SACP’s involvement in the alliance and SACP ministers like Blade, but as a result of working-class struggle,” he stated.
McKinley argues additional that the exacerbation of inequality and poverty, together with the intensification of reactionary politics, have been an indicator of the SACP over the previous two-and-a-half a long time.
24 years of hits misses and misses
Nzimande’s 24 years on the head of the SACP hasn’t been with out drama, and he has typically been accused of champagne socialism.
His penchant for having fun with the finer issues in life whereas preaching the virtues of socialist egalitarianism even made international headlines in 2009, when he addressed a Mandela Day occasion urging the viewers to stay to values of “equality and selflessness”.
This regardless of having bought a R1.1 million Seven Series BMW shortly earlier than this, on the taxpayers’ dime.
The increased training ministry on the time insisted that the flashy automobile was a vital requirement for him to execute his duties and guarantee his security, whereas including:
“Minister Nzimande does not condone wasteful expenditure under any circumstances and stands firm in his condemnation of greed, corruption and selfishness in society.”
At some level, the SACP under the management of Nzimande additionally threw its full weight behind former president Jacob Zuma, regardless of his many trials of tribulation. As destiny would have it, Zuma rewarded Nzimande with a Cabinet place for his loyalty.
However, in 2017 the SACP appeared to be singing a distinct tune, questioning Zuma’s relationship with the controversial Gupta household. Nzimande was subsequently fired and at that time, he began even calling for Zuma’s head.
On quite a few events all through the years, the SACP had threatened to depart the tripartite alliance and contest elections on their very own. In 2017, they adopted by means of, albeit only in the municipal elections in Metsimaholo in the Free State.
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And possibly most controversially, Nzimande as minister of upper training, regardless of his supposed communist credentials, was probably the most vocal voices against the Fees Must Fall protests which known as free of charge increased training for all college students, however notably the poor.
Nzimande was adamant that free increased training was not possible, regardless of free training being one of many 10 key ideas of communism as put forth by Marx and Engels in the communist manifesto.
He was broadly slated in 2021, when he went so far as evaluating college students demanding free training to cleaning soap opera actors.
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How can the SACP regain relevance?
If the SACP desires to stay related, it should rework itself, with McKinley saying this should begin by representing the pursuits of the working class.
“The SACP has been having it each methods for a very long time, they wish to stay inside the home, and act as if they characterize those that are outdoors the home that’s the ANC and the state.
“The SACP must orient towards its supposed constituency and begin to lead and to guide those struggles that the broad working class is undertaking and not just the unions,” he stated.
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McKinley’s sentiments look like shared to a level amongst these inside the social gathering, as earlier on Thursday, Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi didn’t mince her phrases when she additionally stated the SACP has been silent when it got here to addressing staff’ struggles.
“The silence has been deafening. Workers need to hear the party speak when they are being paid with vouchers. Police and correctional service officers need to hear the party when government refuses to increases workers’ wages while members of Cabinet and Parliament pay themselves increases.”
Zingiswa Losi