S. Africa's SACP wants to "reconfigure" tripartite coalition alliance

CAPE TOWN, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The South African Communist Party (SACP) on Tuesday called for drastic measures to reconfigure the tripartite coalition alliance.

A reconfigured alliance should be an alliance characterized by adherence to the principles of democratic consensus seeking consultation, collective leadership and accountability, the SACP said.

The party warned against a situation where one alliance partner through its executives or an individual leader makes decisions without consultation, or a faction becomes dominant and makes those decisions.

The SACP said such situation is "completely unacceptable."

"This is the general situation we were faced with until recently. However, this unacceptable situation continues at various levels. Rather than build the alliance, arrogance and marginalization of alliance partners will only serve to weaken and ultimately destroy the alliance," the SACP said as it marked the 25th commemoration of the assassination of late SACP leader Chris Hani who was shot and killed on April 10 in 1993.

The SACP took advantage of the event to outline its relations with the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

The SACP and ANC form a coalition alliance which also includes the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).

Relations between the SACP and ANC reached an all time low last year when then President Jacob Zuma sacked SACP Secretary General Blade Nzimande as Minister of Higher Education and Training in a cabinet reshuffle. The SACP has been critical of the ANC for making unilateral decisions.

As its rift with the ANC deepens, the SACP has stated repeatedly that it will contest the 2019 elections on its own. In previous elections, the SACP stood by the ANC to win votes.

"In memory of Chris Hani, we must combat all tendencies that will liquidate the alliance. The best way to do so is to reconfigure the alliance," the SACP said.

In the same manner, decisive action must be taken against the malady of corporate capture within the ranks of the movement and corporate capture of the state, the SACP said.

"We must deal decisively with all other forms of corruption and wrongdoing," said the party.

This apparently refers to Zuma and a number of senior government officials who have allegedly collaborated with the controversial Indian Gupta family in looting from the state coffers.

A failure to succeed in dealing with corporate capture and other forms of corruption and wrongdoing, both within the liberation movement and the state, will undermine the hard-won democratic hegemony of the movement, the SACP warned.

"Those members within the ranks of our movement who lack personal discipline for instance can compromise the movement. Their undisciplined conduct is the route of entry for externally coordinated attacks directed at our formations," the SACP said. Enditem