Don’t worry, mate, we’ve got your back, SACP tells ANC

The SACP on Tuesday confirmed that it would be campaigning for the ANC in next year’s elections despite adopting a resolution to contest elections independently.
The Tripartite Alliance Political Council met at the weekend for the first time since Cyril Ramaphosa was elected president of the ANC.“We are participating not just in the elections, but in the elections team of the ANC, on an ANC-led alliance elections programme,” second deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila said.
ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule said the tripartite alliance would be campaigning together to ensure an overwhelming victory by the ANC. He said the weekend’s meeting was used to self-correct, to learn lessons, to introspect and figure out a way to move forward.
The alliance has been wrecked by infighting, leading to the SACP indicating that they would contest elections alone – even going as far as contesting a by-election in Metsimaholo, Free State, in November last year.
But Mapaila said the SACP was working together with the ANC in a coalition at Metsimaholo.
He added that the decision to campaign with the ANC was not a deviation from their communist party congress resolution regarding the configuration of the alliance and their participation in the elections.
“We have always affirmed that we are having a discussion before the reconfiguration of the alliance. We are having a discussion in the way in which to change the way the alliance has been functioning, so that the alliance can be inclusive, and be based on a democratic consensus-seeking approach,” he said.Mapaila said the political council reaffirmed the necessity of the alliance’s continuation and has established a task team to finalise a single and common document of the alliance. This document will be discussed across their structures to agree on the framework, modalities and character of the alliance.
He could not be drawn to comment on previous communist party assertions that former president Jacob Zuma should be excluded from ANC electoral campaigns. Instead, he sent his condolences to Zuma, who buried his son on Saturday.
Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini said the meeting was used to “deal with issues of the alliance”.
While Cosatu had barred Zuma from addressing its gatherings, Dlamini said the meeting was used to ensure that never happens again.
“We must all work hard to prevent and avoid a situation where we could be taken to that stage where an alliance partner leader is prevented from addressing a meeting of the alliance. We are going to ensure that such things do not repeat themselves,” he said.