Eighty and going strong

By M.S. Prabhakara

CAPE TOWN, AUG 4. The South African Communist Party (SACP), the oldest communist party in Africa, recently celebrated the 80th anniversary of its founding.

The party, which at the time of its founding was known at the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), formally came into being at the end of a three-day foundation conference held at No. 20, Plein Street, Cape Town (July 30-August 1, 1921), though the formation of the party had been announced on July 29 at a pubic meeting in the Cape Town City Hall. Some historians of the communist movement in South Africa trace the origins of the party to an even earlier date, to the founding of the International Socialist League in 1915. After dissolving itself in June 1950, in anticipation of a ban by the apartheid regime, the party revived itself in 1953 as the South African Communist Party.

A plaque recording the founding of the party was unveiled at a function held on the junction of Plein Street and Longmarket Street in Cape Town by Mr. Jeremy Cronin, Deputy General Secretary of the SACP. The actual building, or even the site bearing the street number 20 on Plein Street, is no more in existence. The function was addressed by Mr. Brian Bunting, a veteran party member and leader of over 50 years standing, and by Mr. Charles Nqakula, National Chairman of the SACP. Mr. Bunting and another veteran SACP leader, Mr. Billy Nair, were formally conferred the Moses Kotane Award - named after the longest serving General Secretary of the SACP (1937-78) - in acknowledgement of their outstanding contribution to the SACP.

The main rally in Durban marking the occasion was addressed by Mr. Jacob Zuma, Deputy President. At the rally, Mr. Blade Nzimande, the SACP general-secretary, spoke of the continuing relevance of the tripartite alliance comprising the ANC, the SACP and Cosatu. The SACP occupies a unique position among communist parties. Its emergence as a legal political entity in South Africa in 1990, after 40 years of illegality, coincided with the decline of communist parties in power in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

The immense popularity of the party among the African majority can only be explained by its unwavering commitment to non- racialism, and its acknowledgement that in the unique context of South Africa's history, the task of the national liberation of the majority of the people was its primary task. Though founded by a predominantly white leadership, the party very early in its history began to reflect the actual demographics of the country. Thus, its alliance with and acceptance of the African National Congress as the party leading the national liberation struggle. The alliance became especially strong following the banning of the SACP in 1950, which the ANC leadership accurately saw as presaging its own eventual ban 10 years later. It was tested in fire and sealed in the blood of the struggle against apartheid when the regime conducted its own total onslaught against the liberation struggle.

The practical consequence of that alliance, which now includes Cosatu - though Cosatu demarcates itself from governance unlike the SACP - is that an SACP members is also an ANC member, though this principle of dual membership does not apply to ANC members. It is thus, in their capacity as ANC members committed to implementing the programme of the ANC, that six SACP leaders serve in the Cabinet of Mr. Thabo Mbeki. Mr. Mandela's Cabinet had five SACP members and later, with the death of Mr. Joe Slovo, four. About 60 members of the National Assembly, as well as several Premiers and provincial Ministers also belong to the SACP stream.

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Section  : International
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