ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe claims the SA Communist Party (SACP) is opposing the government of national unity (GNU) involving the Democratic Alliance (DA) because they want something in return.
Image: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers
African National Congress (ANC) national chairperson, Gwede Mantashe, said the SA Communist Party (SACP) is opposing the government of national unity (GNU) involving the Democratic Alliance (DA) because they wanted something in return.
Mantashe's comments come as the ANC is celebrating its 113th anniversary in a series of events in Cape Town.
The events are a build-up to President Cyril Ramaphosa's January 8 statement this weekend. He will deliver his speech at Mandela Park Stadium in Khayelitsha on Saturday.
Speaking at one of the party's events in Grabouw on Wednesday, Mantashe said the unity government was full of communists, including him, stating the communist party had no reason to oppose the GNU.
"There are communists who are in the GNU, you will find many of them," he said, adding there were not less than 10 communists in the GNU.
Mantashe said SACP secretary-general Solly Mapaila wanted "XYZ," hence his firm opposition to the GNU.
He condemned the targeting of certain personalities in the GNU for personal gains.
Mantashe's remarks come days after Mapaila told Ramaphosa that they do not support GNU with the DA in it.
The SACP believes that the DA does not have good intentions in the GNU, labelling the blue party as the "neo-liberals" who only prioritised white minority interests more than the black majority interests.
As a result, Mapaila told the president that they would continue with their plan to contest the upcoming 2026 local government elections independently from the ANC.
In the same breath, he asked for the decision not to be viewed as an attempt to weaken the ANC.
Mapaila was addressing the 30th commemoration of the passing of former SACP leader Joe Slovo at the Avalon Cemetery in Soweto on Monday.
However, Ramaphosa warned against the move and said this would cause a rift in the alliance.
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