There will be no winners if SACP decides to leave alliance‚ says Kodwa

There will be no winners if the South African Communist Party (SACP) decides to sever ties with the ANC and contest elections on its own‚ ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa said on Monday.

The South African Communist Party (SACP) holds its 14th party congress this week‚ at which it will discuss whether to break away from the ANC-led tripartite alliance and contest elections on its own.

The fractured state of the ANC and allegations of state capture have induced serious discussions in the left axis of the alliance about the possibility of the SACP contesting for state power on its own. The SACP has gone as far as to say President Jacob Zuma should step down‚ and he will also not address the congress later this week. The SACP forms part of the tripartite alliance with the ANC and trade union federation Cosatu‚ and uses the ANC as a political vehicle.

Kodwa told journalists on Monday there has always been a few members in the party who discuss breaking away from the ANC to‚ among other reasons‚ cement the ideals of socialism. Kodwa said the debate has always been handled with care within the party‚ and that it must strengthen the state of the alliance‚ which is at its weakest since Zuma took over the reins of the ANC in 2007.

He said there "is no winner" if the SACP leaves the alliance.

"There is no winner in that situation. We are all losers. The Communist Party does not win‚ the ANC does not win‚" Kodwa said.

He said members form part of the same political family‚ and that there are SACP and ANC members who hold dual membership in the respective parties.

"We need one another‚" Kodwa said.

The ANC national executive committee will send a large delegation of 25 NEC members to the congress.