SACP Expresses Regret Over Support to Zuma, Labels Him ‘Counter-Revolutionary’

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has openly voiced its remorse over the support provided to former President Jacob Zuma during his ascent to South Africa’s top office. Once staunch allies in the political arena, the SACP and Zuma have since experienced a dramatic fallout, with the Communist Party now reproaching the former president for what it describes as his central role in fostering an environment ripe for corruption and attempted state capture.

During the delivery of the Joe Slovo Memorial Lecture in Mpumalanga, Solly Mapaila, the SACP's general secretary, did not mince words when he described the alleged transformation of the government into a haven for corrupt politicians under Zuma's presidency. According to Mapaila, Zuma did not just witness the rise of state capture but indeed pioneered it, implicating him directly in the process.

The change of heart from the SACP, which previously supported Zuma’s presidential bid, has been profound. Over the years, the party has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of Zuma’s leadership, especially towards the end of his tenure. This persistent critique has intensified amid the recent controversy surrounding Zuma and his association with the uMkhonto weSizwe party, where he is now the face of its election campaign.

Mapaila's condemnation extended beyond issues of state capture to what he views as a misuse of historical narratives and structures. He accused Zuma of disrespecting the heritage of the former liberation party, particularly through the mobilization of former soldiers of uMkhonto weSizwe, in defiance of the African National Congress's (ANC) current leadership.

By labeling Zuma’s acts as 'counter-revolutionary', the SACP signals a deep discontent with Zuma's attempts to gather support against the ANC leadership – using the legacy of the movement's armed wing as leverage. This denouncement suggests a strong desire within the party to distance current and future leftist politics from Zuma’s influence and the political strategies he embodies, which the SACP now categorically opposes.

The remarks by Mapaila at the memorial lecture echo the broader sentiments of the SACP hierarchy and a portion of the ANC faithful — that the time of Jacob Zuma has irreversibly passed, and the country must move on from the shadows cast by his era of rule, which has been marred by pervasive allegations of corruption and governance lapses.

This event marks yet another signpost in South Africa’s ongoing political evolution, revealing the ever-shifting alliances and ideologies that define the nation’s democratic landscape. As South Africa grapples with the residues of the Zuma presidency, the SACP's stance serves as a clear distancing from a legacy they now seem determined to leave behind and a call to rectify the failings attributed to his tenure.