Solly Mapaila questions whether working class is ready for SACP to contest elections

SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila says the organisation is ready to contest the 2024 general elections.

Mapaila was speaking at the second day of the 14th national congress of Cosatu in Midrand, Johannesburg, on Tuesday.

He opened day two of the congress tackling head-on the question of whether the SACP would contest elections.

“There have been questions about whether or not the SACP is ready to contest elections. Let me put in simple words. The SACP is ready. Any other thing is a matter of engagement. We’re not isolationist. We are working within [the] revolutionary agenda.

“Don’t ever say the SACP is not ready. The issue is... in its readiness, is the question is the working class ready? Don’t take any decision on the basis that the SACP is ready,” Mapaila said.

He also touched on the scenes that played out on Monday when ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe was booed off stage by delegates who demanded that President Cyril Ramaphosa address them.

Mantashe was publicly humiliated by workers before he could speak. He was meant to address more than 1,800 delegates.

Initially, he seemed to join the workers in singing asinamali, but this only seemed to add fuel to the fire, with some delegates accusing him of being “arrogant” and the ANC of not taking them seriously.

Speaking on this, Mapaila said the “comrades were done with negatives”.

“We need an urgent meeting with the alliance. The ANC must understand the grounds have shifted. When talking about changing the balance of power inside and outside, the grounds have shifted. The working class can no longer afford to be pacified,” he said.

Tuesday's proceedings were delayed due to load-shedding at the Gallagher Convention Centre.

Delegates also stood outside plenary, singing they rejected government's proposed 3% wage increase offer.

The labour federation is still angry after the current administration refused to honour the last part of a three-year wage deal signed in the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council in 2018.

The federation marched to the Union Buildings recently against the rising cost of living and to demonstrate its rejection of the government’s final revised offer of 3% for the country’s more than 1.3-million public servants.

nkosin@sowetan.co.za