The SACP has conceded that its influence in the ANC has waned considerably and will continue in that trajectory with the new government of national unity.
In its discussion document ahead of its fifth Special National Congress in December, the SACP has also conceded that its public profile has diminished over the years.
“At best, we might be remembered as the party of the late Chris Hani. In a less flattering way, certainly among print media-reading middle strata, we might be said to be a party that supposedly keeps threatening to break from the ANC but never does. This is certainly the way in which prominent analysts in the media (black and white) seek to characterise the SACP.”
The party said it lacks a strong public brand capable of inspiring not just the party’s own cadreship, but also the working class and broad popular strata.
“But developing such a popular profile doesn’t fall from the sky. It requires popular, rooted party activism.”
The SACP has been at loggerheads with its alliance partner, the ANC, after its decision to enter into a GNU arrangement with the DA. The SACP raises this as a potential threat to its influence in government policy.
Without building more power on the ground, left alliance partners are likely to have less influence on government economic policy than does the DA.
— SACP
“The influence of its coalition partners will more than likely be towards an even stronger adherence to key neoliberal policy prescripts — including stricter austerity — justified as a more determined push to meet in particular debt-reduction targets — and notions of ‘working with’ profit seeking capital in the hope of leveraging funds to fill an infrastructure ‘funding gap’ now said to be north of a trillion rand.”
The party argues it needs to build greater working-class power and influence, but is quick to add this is not to suggest abandoning the struggle to influence the ANC and alliance through its activities.
The SACP argues the ANC's decline in the polls is not an automatic vote for neoliberalism but rather an expression of discontent by the masses with the status quo delivered by neoliberalism.
It said that in moving forward, it requires a popular left front to spearhead a campaign to build more influence on the ground as well as in the space of the “battle for ideas” for a progressive alternative to neoliberalism.
The SACP adds this will require reaching out to like-minded groupings and organisations beyond the comfort zone of alliance partners, including trade unions in various federations, progressive NGOs and research bodies.
The party said these groupings would share a vision on the fight for a universal basic income grant, for a huge public employment programme, campaigns against identified budget cuts of particular relevance to working people and the poor and building on the financial sector campaign.
“We need to recognise that the old adage ‘we won’t be able win in the boardroom what we have not won on the ground’ is likely to be even more true now. We need to acknowledge that working class power and influence has been declining for some time. Without building more power on the ground, left alliance partners are likely to have less influence on government economic policy than does the DA,” it said.
The party is likely to review its composition and character in the face of a changing political landscape, arguing it must assess whether its mass membership base is rooted in mass democratic/popular and working class struggles.
The party said this must be reviewed on whether its change in character is related to its recruitment policies and weaker cadre development work, a deterioration of the ANC or to the weakening of the trade unions and the demobilisation of popular democratic formations.
“In many ways, power has shifted downwards but in a perverse manner, not leading to the popular democracy and rank and file participation we had hoped for. In some respects, ‘command’ has shifted to regions and branches, with the authority and strategic capacity of the ANC’s NEC considerably eroded, making matters in some sense worse, with the ‘kingmakers’ being less sophisticated.
“If the ANC has become increasingly federalised, or even sub-federalised, what about the [SACP]? Compared to the earlier periods considered, the party now manages its congresses through provincial leaderships, and it depends considerably on regular organisational reporting on provincial self-reporting. There is also not always transparent reporting on party provincial funding.”
With the persistence of racial identities and the upsurge in ethnic identities, the alliance is confronted with new challenges in dealing with the national question as part of the NDR.
— SACP
Reflecting on the May elections, it said the polls showed very limited major shift in voting patterns. It argues the ANC election result (40.1%) coupled with the MK Party's 14.5% make up 54.6%, close to the 57.5% the ANC received in 2019. It adds that with the EFF's 9.5% it gives 64.1%, close to the 62.6% the ANC got in 1994, which gives credence to its position that voters still identify with parties seen as committed to fundamental change.
“The voting reveals the consistent overall racial divisions in voting patterns. But the new feature of these elections is the role that ethnic identity played in the voting for the MKP. Perhaps, it may be of relevance too that the highest percentage of provincial votes for the ANC came from Limpopo, where [President Cyril] Ramaphosa has some ethnic resonance — though Limpopo is multi-ethnic.”
The party states that while the main reason for the ANC's dismal performance was its own failures, ethnic populism was a key reason for MKP's support.
It states that the alliance's weak electoral support of just 15% of all eligible voters, the capacity of the alliance to effectively implement the national democratic revolution (NDR) is severely undermined.
“And with the persistence of racial identities and the upsurge in ethnic identities, the alliance is confronted with new challenges in dealing with the national question as part of the NDR.”
The SACP also raised concern about the MKP, which has previously stated it was working towards forming a trade union federation.
The party said this may undermine not just Cosatu, but the SACP and ANC too, particularly in KZN.
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