The South African Communist Party (SACP) recently announced that it would contest the upcoming 2026 local government elections.
Image: Motshwari Mofokeng
A timeline of the 103 years of the South African Communist Party (SACP), which plays an important role in South African politics.
Founded in 1921 and originally called the Communist Party of South Africa, it strategically disbanded in 1950 after the ruling National Party ruled that it was unlawful under the Suppression of Communism Act of 1950.
After that, it reorganised underground and rejoined the fight to abolish the apartheid regime in 1953 under the new name SACP.
Together with the African National Congress (ANC) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the SACP is a member of the Tripartite Alliance, which gives it sway over the South African government.
The highest decision-making body within the party is the Central Committee.
Founding and development and fighting against Apartheid (1921-1949)
The SACP was founded by radical White workers and socialists inspired by the Russian Revolution.
In addition to electing important leaders, such as William Andrews as secretary, the founding convention drafted the party's constitution.
In 1925, the CPSA changed its goal from labour and national liberation to include a majority of Black members, and by 1928, it was advocating for Black majority control.
The ANC and the party also established a strong, albeit occasionally tense, alliance that persisted in exile after 1950.
The dissolution of SACP and operating underground (1950-1959)
The Unlawful Organisation Bill, also known as the Suppression of Communism Bill, was introduced by the apartheid government in 1950 in reaction to the growing communist influence in non-White political groups, such as the South African Indian Congress and the ANC Communists in labour unions and politics were the objective of the law.
A coalition of organisations, including the Indian Congress, ANC, and SACP, held a "Freedom of Speech Convention" in Johannesburg in March 1950 in opposition to the law.
Meetings were prohibited by the government, which resulted in violent altercations with police on May 1 that killed eighteen people.
The SACP dissolved just before the measure was signed into law in June 1950 in order to safeguard its resources and keep Sam Kahn and Fred Carneson's seats.
In 1951, the government changed the law to specifically target former communists, and in 1952, Kahn and Carneson were expelled.In 1953, the SACP was an underground organisation.
The SACP participated in the 1955 Freedom Charter and was prosecuted at the 1956 Treason Trial, in which 156 individuals, including SACP members, were accused of treason.
The charges were kept in the indictment even though several of the accused had their cases dropped.
In 1960-1999, the SACP moved to armed struggle
The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and the ANC were both outlawed and forced into exile in 1960.
In order to launch a sabotage campaign, members of the ANC and SACP met in secret in KwaZulu-Natal in 1961 and decided to establish Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) as an independent armed branch of the ANC.
In a desperate attempt to exert pressure on the government, MK's initial bombings targeted property rather than people.
The ANC and SACP had a tense relationship in the 1960s. After 1962, Nelson Mandela minimised their ties to the SACP, particularly when he was touring Africa.
Significant repression was experienced by both parties, notably SACP member Bram Fischer, who was eventually given a life sentence for his defence of those detained during the Rivonia Trial.
Following the Morogoro Conference in 1969, the ANC and SACP formally established its partnership, collaborating closely through their shared underground experiences.
Although some ANC members were leery of connections with the USSR, the two groups became more powerful and united.
Both organisations gave up violent conflict after negotiations and were banned until 1990.
MK leader and SACP Secretary-General Chris Hani played a crucial role in persuading leaders to give discussions first priority.
As the emphasis switched to democracy and a diversified economy, CODESA was established in 1991.
Post-Apartheid
After winning, a number of communists were given important positions within the ANC, including the position of Minister for Housing, which went to Joe Slovo.
Because the ANC's policy, which relied on foreign investment and tourism, did not challenge capitalism in South Africa, tensions developed within the ANC-SACP partnership.
Slovo said socialism had failed in Eastern Europe and shouldn't be used as a model for the SACP, even though the Freedom Charter was viewed as a framework for a democratic future.
The SACP, which frequently acts as an ideological opposition to the presidency, has had considerable influence through its partnership with the ANC and the presence of numerous SACP members on the ANC's NEC.
At first, the SACP didn't run for office on its own, nonetheless, the party took part in the Metsimahalo, Free State, local council by-elections in December 2017.
The SACP received 3,270 votes (6.3%) and won three seats through proportional representation, but it did not win any seats in the first-past-the-post ward.
Recently, the party announced that it would contest the upcoming 2026 local government elections.
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