Will the SACP finally come to the party?

At its congress in July, the South African Communist Party will once again confront the perennial question it has failed to resolve in the last two decades: to contest elections or not?

Continued dilly-dallying could frustrate prospects to revive what was once genuinely regarded as a genuine Left project led by a genuine communist party in South Africa. 

But come July, there is a real risk SACP leaders will resolve to do the usual: procrastinate and provide flimsy reasons why they can’t face voters directly. There is no doubt that this kind of procrastination will be given a politically acceptable phrase. (An area of expertise the SACP is exceedingly good at is coining phrases).