EFF BILATERAL MEETING WITH THE SACP TO CONSOLIDATE THE LEFT
CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE_EDITOR
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) confirms that, today, it held a constructive bilateral meeting today with the South African Communist Party (SACP) as part of a deliberate process to re-establish relations and consolidate left forces in South Africa. The SACP delegation was led by its General Secretary, Solly Mapaila, accompanied by Deputy General Secretary Madala Masuku.
The EFF delegation was led by the President and Commander-in-Chief, Julius Malema, who opened the engagement by appreciating the invitation and affirming that without a united left, progressive forces will continue to score own goals while the right consolidates power.
The SACP, formed in 1921, is one of the oldest liberation movements in South Africa and has historically positioned itself as a vanguard of the working class, playing a central role in the struggle against apartheid alongside other liberation formations. Its cadres endured banning, imprisonment and exile, and it has consistently advocated for socialism, worker control of the economy, and international solidarity with oppressed nations.
The EFF recognises this historic contribution and the ideological overlap between our two organisations on questions of anti-imperialism, land, stateled industrialisation, and the centrality of the working class in political transformation.
The purpose of the meeting was to lay the foundation for rebuilding principled relations towards a broader Conference of the Left. Both organisations acknowledged the deep crisis confronting South Africa: deindustrialisation, austerity-driven fiscal consolidation, collapsing energy security, mass unemployment, and extreme poverty.
The EFF President emphasised that poverty has reached intolerable levels, with children dying of hunger, and warned that South Africans have exercised extraordinary patience in the face of conditions that could easily produce social explosion. The discussion additionally reflected on the fragmentation of left forces and the declining trust between workers and some trade union leadership, where many workers perceive unions as too close to employers.
The EFF raised the urgent need to rebuild worker confidence through concrete programmes such as the insourcing of workers and the cancellation of student debt, calling on the SACP to join these struggles inside and outside Parliament. The meeting discussed the limits of constitutional democracy where unelected institutions can ultimately frustrate transformative legislation, while politicians who have enjoyed a two-thirds majority have failed to decisively implement progressive policies out of fear of “investors.” This has led to the failure to implement measures such as a State Bank, demonstrating political reluctance rather than constitutional impossibility. The meeting moreover agreed that energy sovereignty, mineral beneficiation, industrial policy and banking reform must form the backbone of a minimum programme for economic transformation. International developments were also central to the engagement.
Both organisations reflected on the shifting global balance of forces, the use of sanctions and destabilisation against the Global South, and the vulnerability of African states to imperial interference. There was a reiteration of solidarity with the people of Cuba against the ongoing blockade, noting Cuba’s historic role in defeating apartheid forces in Angola, where over 35,000 Cuban soldiers were deployed. The principled stance of Fidel Castro, including his demand for the release of Nelson Mandela and the withdrawal of apartheid forces from Southern Africa, was acknowledged as a profound act of international solidarity. The meeting resolved to create a joint task team to assist Cuba materially in light of severe energy shortages. Solidarity was further expressed with the people of Palestine and with progressive movements in the Sahel, particularly Niger, whose assertion of sovereignty was recognised as part of a broader continental awakening. Both parties agreed that as beneficiaries of international solidarity during apartheid, South Africa must never retreat from supporting oppressed nations.
The meeting concluded with agreement to establish a joint working group, to participate in preparations for a Conference of the Left through an establishment steering committee, and to develop a clear, practical minimum programme to defend democratic gains while advancing economic emancipation. There was consensus that criticism within the left is necessary, but it must not degenerate into paralysis that leaves neoliberal and right-wing forces unchallenged. This bilateral engagement represents an important step towards rebuilding unity among formations of the working class and confronting the deepening social and economic crisis facing South Africa.
The EFF remains committed to principled left cooperation grounded in action, clarity, and the pursuit of genuine economic freedom in our lifetime.
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