THE South African Communist Party is not likely to contest elections on its own platform any time soon.
The party looks set to continue running on the back of an ANC ticket in upcoming elections.
An SACP discussion document released publicly yesterday ahead of the party's elective congress in KwaZulu-Natal in July attests to this stance.
In the 82-page document - titled The South African Road to Socialism: Advance and Deepen Working Class Power and Hegemony in all key sites of struggle - the party says it will contest elections independently if it chooses to do so while also arguing that it is not an "electoralist formation".
The document states: " As an independent political party, the SACP has every right to contest elections in its own right - should it so choose. Whether the party does this and how it does it are entirely subject to conjunctural realities and indeed to engagement with our strategic allies."
The SACP's stance is hardly surprising as it has no post-apartheid track record of electoral success as an independent party.
Critics - both within and outside the organisation have long held the view that the organisation continues to cling to the ANC largely because the ruling party represents a perfect vehicle through which to advance socialist ideals without going through the arduous process of convincing an otherwise sceptical electorate.
Some believe that the party fears rejection from the electorate.
The party's rationale for not contesting elections independently are spread out in the discussion document.
"The SACP is not and will never become a narrowly electoralist formation," the document argues.
"Our approach to elections will be guided in this phase of the struggle by our overall strategic commitment to advancing, deepening and defending the national democratic revolution - the South African road to socialism and our strategic objective in regard to state power is to secure not party political but working class hegemony over the state."
However, party members will have warned the party of the potential of losing its identity to the ANC.
"Again, the SACP expects all of its members who are ANC public representatives to be exemplary communists, respecting the integrity, unity and discipline of our leading alliance partner, the ANC, without losing their own communist identity, principles and morality," the document warns.
Reds to continue 'piggybacking'
THE South African Communist Party is not likely to contest elections on its own platform any time soon.
The party looks set to continue running on the back of an ANC ticket in upcoming elections.
An SACP discussion document released publicly yesterday ahead of the party's elective congress in KwaZulu-Natal in July attests to this stance.
In the 82-page document - titled The South African Road to Socialism: Advance and Deepen Working Class Power and Hegemony in all key sites of struggle - the party says it will contest elections independently if it chooses to do so while also arguing that it is not an "electoralist formation".
The document states: " As an independent political party, the SACP has every right to contest elections in its own right - should it so choose. Whether the party does this and how it does it are entirely subject to conjunctural realities and indeed to engagement with our strategic allies."
The SACP's stance is hardly surprising as it has no post-apartheid track record of electoral success as an independent party.
Critics - both within and outside the organisation have long held the view that the organisation continues to cling to the ANC largely because the ruling party represents a perfect vehicle through which to advance socialist ideals without going through the arduous process of convincing an otherwise sceptical electorate.
Some believe that the party fears rejection from the electorate.
The party's rationale for not contesting elections independently are spread out in the discussion document.
"The SACP is not and will never become a narrowly electoralist formation," the document argues.
"Our approach to elections will be guided in this phase of the struggle by our overall strategic commitment to advancing, deepening and defending the national democratic revolution - the South African road to socialism and our strategic objective in regard to state power is to secure not party political but working class hegemony over the state."
However, party members will have warned the party of the potential of losing its identity to the ANC.
"Again, the SACP expects all of its members who are ANC public representatives to be exemplary communists, respecting the integrity, unity and discipline of our leading alliance partner, the ANC, without losing their own communist identity, principles and morality," the document warns.
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