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SACP Conference of the Left Opens in Boksburg as ANC Stays Away

The public split over who was invited and the meeting’s purpose signals a widening rift that could alter alliance politics before local government elections.

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Overview

  • The SACP-sponsored Conference of the Left opened in Boksburg on Friday, May 29, with organisers expecting more than 300 delegates and representatives from nine international solidarity groups to discuss coordination among working-class and social formations.
  • ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula confirmed the ANC would not attend and said the party does not regard the convening as a legitimate left forum, adding it had been offered only a five-minute speaking slot.
  • SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila and party spokespeople rejected claims the meeting aims to form a new political party and said the goal is to build a shared programme to support social and labour struggles.
  • The conference has triggered debate over its participant mix after Mbalula criticised seating business chambers alongside militant formations, while the SACP defended including informal traders, township businesses and cooperatives as parts of the working class.
  • The public confrontation deepens strains within the long-standing ANC–SACP–COSATU alliance and could influence campaign positioning and voter debates in the lead-up to this year’s local government elections.