The conference proclaimed unity of the poor and working class, despite differences between participating organisations.
The Conference of the Left, convened by the South African Communist Party (SACP) this weekend, has called for renewed effort to rebuild working-class political power, expand social ownership and strengthen cooperation among progressive organisations. Held at the Birchwood Hotel in Ekurhuleni, the conference brought together left-leaning political parties, trade unions, social movements, youth formations and solidarity organisations to discuss a common programme for advancing progressive politics in South Africa.
The gathering comes amid a significant shift in the country’s political landscape following the SACP’s decision to contest the upcoming local government elections independently of its alliance partner, the African National Congress (ANC). While the conference adopted a declaration calling for a permanent coordinating structure to unite progressive forces nationally, some organisations, including the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), declined to participate, questioning the conference’s legitimacy.
At the centre of the conference’s resolutions is the establishment of a Council of the Left, a coordinating body intended to facilitate joint campaigns, political education, policy development and mass mobilisation. Organisers stressed that the council would not function as a political party and contest elections but would instead serve as a platform for cooperation among participating organisations.
The declaration argues that South Africa faces a deep structural crisis rooted in capitalism, inequality, unemployment, austerity, patriarchy, racism and ecological degradation. While acknowledging the democratic gains achieved in 1994, delegates contended that the post-apartheid settlement failed to fundamentally alter patterns of ownership and economic power.
“The task of the present moment is to defend democratic gains while advancing beyond the limits of the 1994 settlement towards economic democracy, social ownership, land justice and working-class power,” the declaration states.
Programme of action
To give effect to its resolutions, the conference adopted an initial programme organised around eight priority areas: economic transformation, cost-of-living relief, land reform, healthcare, community safety, climate justice, international solidarity and constitutional review.
Working groups will be established for each area and tasked with developing campaigns, timelines and measurable outcomes over the next year.
In its closing declaration, the conference argues that rebuilding the Left requires more than ideological agreement: “Unity is not silence. Unity is not the erasure of difference. Unity means acting together where we agree, debating honestly where we differ, and refusing to allow differences to be used to weaken the people”. The gathering concluded with a commitment to strengthening cooperation among left-wing organisations and building what participants described as a renewed movement rooted in working-class and popular struggles.
Speaking to Elitsha, Prof Sipho Seepe said the conference could mark the beginning of a significant realignment in South African politics, as groups traditionally divided by ideology and strategy seek common ground in response to deepening social and economic crises. Seepe said the event reflects growing dissatisfaction with the ANC and an attempt by progressive forces to build a broader platform capable of addressing poverty, inequality and government failures.
Seepe said the conference had been “long in coming”, arguing that left-wing organisations have for years raised similar concerns but have often been unable to work together: “For too long, the left has been fragmented,” he said. “Different organisations have been raising almost identical issues, but impatience with one another has prevented the formation of a broad front.”
According to him, worsening poverty, rising inequality, persistent unemployment and poor service delivery have created conditions that demand a more coordinated response. “The party that historically represented the majority of poor South Africans, the ANC, has been failing and has now reached a stage where people are increasingly rejecting it,” he said.
Seepe pointed to the ANC’s electoral decline over recent years, arguing that the party has responded to its significant loss of public support by entering into alliances with parties that many view as being at odds with the aspirations of the black majority. “The left, particularly those concerned with the working class and the poor, has reached a point where it is asking whether it is time to find each other and coordinate efforts to confront the country’s challenges,” he said.
MK Party defends engagement with xenophobic groups
A heated debate emerged at the conference as delegates raised concerns about political violence and the future direction of progressive politics in South Africa.
Shosholoza Party leader, Raynauld Russon, said that the conference could not ignore the promotion of violence by members of the MK Party (MKP), drawing parallels with the political instability that preceded the 1992 Boipatong massacre, in which 45 people were killed.
“It worries me that if there is a political party sitting among us that is connected to these developments, we cannot simply remain silent,” Russon said. “We know that forces have historically promoted black-on-black violence. How can we allow this conference to be drawn into such controversy?”
Russon called on the MKP to publicly distance itself from any such activities, warning that failure to do so could lead to a withdrawal by some participating organisations. “We need an explanation from the MKP,” he said. “They must clearly distance themselves from this matter. Otherwise, we will have to reconsider their place in this conference. We cannot be part of a situation that reminds us of the conditions that led to the Boipatong massacre,” said Russon
The remarks highlighted the gulf between conference participants, with organisations from marxist and Africanist traditions spurning the ethnic mobilisation and anti-immigrant actions of nationalist counterparts.
A man is attacked with a sjambok at an anti-immigrant March and March protest in Jeppestown in April. Photo: Ihsaan Haffejee/GroundUp
An MK Party representative defended the party’s decision to engage with a right-wing, anti-immigrant civic formation, arguing that dialogue is necessary to better understand concerns about South Africa’s immigration system and law enforcement challenges.
MKP national chairperson, Nkosinathi Nhleko, defended their stance, saying the party’s position on immigration was guided by two principles: respect for South Africa’s laws and opposition to xenophobia and afrophobia.
“South Africa has laws governing immigration, and those laws must be observed and upheld,” Nhleko said. “At the same time, we are opposed to afrophobia and xenophobia. We are pan-Africanists, but pan-Africanism does not mean operating without order or established procedures.”
The former minister of police stressed that the civic formation in question is not affiliated with the MK Party. According to Nhleko, the group raised two key issues during a meeting held approximately two and a half weeks ago.
The first concerned what it described as shortcomings in South Africa’s legislative framework for managing immigration. “They indicated that they had conducted work identifying gaps in the legislation governing immigration and wanted to engage with us on those findings,” he said.
The MKP intends to continue discussions with the group, Nhleko added, with a follow-up meeting expected in the coming weeks. The purpose of the engagement will be to examine the legislative gaps identified by the organisation and to gain a deeper understanding of its experiences with law enforcement agencies.
Nhleko rejected suggestions that the party should be judged solely on the basis of its engagement with a particular organisation. “We should be judged by what we stand for, what we say and what we do, rather than by the fact that we have met with a particular formation,” he said.
Mapaila calls for unified left front as conference ends with mass action mandate
SACP general secretary, Solly Mapaila called for a renewed and united left-wing movement rooted in working-class struggles, declaring that the time for fragmentation and political paralysis has passed.
“The working class of South Africa can no longer afford fragmentation, passivity, sectarianism or endless tactical paralysis,” he said. He argued that while capital and ruling-class interests remain coordinated and organised, progressive forces often operate in isolation despite confronting common challenges.
“As imperialism coordinates itself globally through finance capital, military alliances, sanctions, debt and neoliberal institutions, workers, the poor and the left cannot remain divided into separate formations and tendencies that march separately while the people suffer together.”
Mapaila stressed that the unity envisaged by the conference would not be based on personalities or leadership ambitions, but on the material conditions confronting workers and poor communities. “This is a principled unity forged in struggle – in communities, workplaces, mines, farms, schools and universities, and in the streets where people confront the daily realities of neoliberal capitalism.”
Mapaila said the newly established Council of the Left expects to convene within 6 weeks, when it will translate conference resolutions into concrete campaigns and organisational work.
In closing, Mapaila urged delegates to leave the conference with renewed determination and discipline. “The future belongs neither to neoliberal decay nor to capitalism. The future belongs to an organised working class,” he said.
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