The South African Communist Party (SACP) has issued a declaration looking at the struggle for socialism and against imperialism both within the country and internationally.
Declaration of the SACP Fifth Special National Congress
Consolidate and Build a Powerful Socialist Movement of the Workers and Poor
Adopted by the Fifth Special National Congress at Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, on 14 December 2024
Honouring the legacy of Chris Hani
This decisive and successful Special National Congress in memory of Martin Thembisile Chris Hani stands as a resolute affirmation of our revolutionary commitment. Chris Hani’s unwavering dedication to the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) and socialism serves as an enduring beacon for our movement.
His sacrifice and vision for a socialist society compel us to intensify our struggle against racial and gender oppression, imperialism and capitalist exploitation.
This Congress, attended by over 570 SACP delegates representing more than 370,000 members, fraternal organisations and guests, reaffirms the inseparability of the NDR from the struggle for socialism. The NDR remains the strategic, direct and shortest route to achieving a socialist society. In honour of Chris Hani’s revolutionary legacy, we renew our commitment to fight for the working class and to realise his vision of a society free from inequality and exploitation.
We also welcome the government’s positive response to our long-standing call for an inquest into Hani’s assassination and to document his life and contribution to the struggle for national democracy and socialism.
The state of the National Democratic Revolution
Notwithstanding the political and social advances since 1994, years of neo-liberal policies have reinforced the legacies of colonialism and apartheid, entrenching racial and gender inequalities, deepening economic marginalisation and perpetuating systemic poverty and unemployment. These policies have failed to dismantle the structural injustices of colonialism of a special type (CST) and have weakened the state’s capacity to lead transformative development.
The 2024 electoral loss of the ANC-led liberation forces’ majority represents a profound political setback for progressive forces. This outcome highlights dissatisfaction among the masses with the failure to address the capitalist social and economic crises, including unemployment, poverty, inequality, the rising cost of living and high levels of crime. It underscores the crisis of working-class representation in electoral politics, reflected in voter disillusionment with neo-liberalism and state capture. This crisis has fuelled a dangerous shift towards ethnic populism.
The coalition arrangement with the neo-liberal DA, under the so-called Government of National Unity (GNU), represents a betrayal of the NDR’s transformative objectives. This coalition arrangement prioritises austerity, financialisation and privatisation over the interests of the working class and poor.
Decades of neo-liberal economic policies – epitomised by GEAR and subsequent austerity and other neo-liberal measures – have entrenched poverty, inequality and unemployment, while weakening state capacity to lead transformative development. These policies have failed to address environmental degradation, gender-based violence and femicide and structural racism, deepening the capitalist social and economic crises and threatening to derail the revolutionary content of the NDR.
Economic and social crises
South Africa’s persistent economic and social crises underscore the structural failures of capitalism, which has proven incapable of addressing the needs of the majority. Chronic unemployment, consistently exceeding 30 per cent, and even higher rates of youth unemployment, represent a structural crisis that condemns millions to economic exclusion. These crises are compounded by deindustrialisation, precarious informal work and policies that prioritise profit over people’s livelihoods.
Our health system remains one of the most unequal in the world. It is split into two tiers: a private healthcare system for the minority and a public system for the majority who are poor. The private system, serving less than 14 per cent of the population, is well-funded and provides high-quality care for those who can afford it. Meanwhile, the public healthcare system, which serves the majority of South Africans, is underfunded, overcrowded and struggling to meet basic needs. This inequality leaves millions of people with little or no access to adequate healthcare. It is a direct result of years of neo-liberal policies that prioritise profits over people’s health.
Meanwhile, inequality in wealth and income – already among the highest globally – continues to widen. The concentration of wealth in the hands of a few perpetuates historical injustices and deepens the social and economic divide. Essential public services, including education and infrastructure, face high risk of collapse under policies of austerity and systemic corruption. Frequent power outages, water shortages and crumbling infrastructure expose the failures of neo-liberal governance, further eroding the dignity and quality of life for the workers and the poor.
We reaffirm that the choice before us is stark: socialism or barbarism! Capitalism has not only entrenched structural inequality and poverty but has also driven environmental degradation, gender-based violence, femicide and rising social violence. Only through the socialist transformation of society can we dismantle these oppressive systems and build a future that prioritises equality and human dignity.
Resolutions of the Congress
Reaffirming the NDR as the strategic path to socialism
We reaffirm the NDR as the shortest and direct route to socialism in South Africa. This includes:
Grounding the NDR in the vision of the Freedom Charter and the principles of socialism to address social and economic crises, environmental degradation and the structural legacy of CST.
Mobilising urban and rural workers, as well as the poor, around a common programme to ensure working-class leadership in advancing the NDR and socialism.
Rejecting narrow nationalist and bourgeois reformist agendas that derail the working class from its historic mission.
2) Building the socialist axis and the popular left front
The formation of a left axis for socialism, anchored by the SACP and COSATU, in partnership with progressive political organisations, trade unions and social movements, is essential for building working-class power and advancing the revolutionary content of the NDR. The SACP re-commits to:
Establish broad sectoral fronts to address critical societal issues, such as youth development, environmental justice, gender-based violence and femicide.
Advance campaigns that prioritise state-led industrialisation, public employment programmes and community-driven economic development.
Promote African unity and solidarity, resist imperialism and foster co-operation among global progressive forces.
3) Contesting local government elections
The SACP’s decision to independently contest the 2026 local government elections is rooted in the need to address the crisis of representation facing the working class and poor. This step is essential for:
Advancing working-class representation: Ensuring that the voices and struggles of the working class and poor drive local governance.
Challenging neoliberal policies: Confronting policies like austerity, privatisation and outsourcing to restore public ownership and prioritise community-driven development.
Building people’s power in our communities: Empowering communities to take control of local governance through participatory structures such as street committees, co-operatives and local forums.
Reconfiguring the Alliance on the ground: Reconnecting the Alliance with grassroots struggles and aligning it with the revolutionary objectives of the NDR.
4) Promoting national dialogue through popular mobilisation and participation
The SACP welcomes the recent calls for a national dialogue involving all sectors of society. We understand this is not a once-off event but a process that should inspire millions of our people to actively shape its form and content. The SACP commits to help drive the mobilisation and participation of the workers and poor in this process to confront the capitalist system, address and ultimately overcome the multiple capitalist failures and crises facing the country.
5) International solidarity: Advancing the anti-imperialist struggle
The SACP recognises that international solidarity is a cornerstone of our movement’s efforts to build socialism and resist imperialism. We reaffirm our commitment to stand with oppressed peoples and progressive movements worldwide in their struggles against exploitation, imperialism and neo-colonial domination.
Strengthening solidarity in Africa
The SACP is acutely aware of the escalating humanitarian crises and persistent conflicts across Africa, exacerbated by neo-colonialism, imperialism and local governance failures. The SACP re-commits its:
Support for the people of Sudan: The SACP notes the urgent humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where over 11 million people have been displaced by conflict, food insecurity and the near collapse of health services. The SACP calls for immediate international intervention to address mass killings, curtailed humanitarian aid and skyrocketing food prices that are driving millions into hunger.
Solidarity with the people of Swaziland: The SACP supports the people of Swaziland’s struggle for democracy in their country. The SACP supports the drive to renew efforts to push the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to prioritise the long-delayed National Dialogue in Swaziland, supporting the people’s demands for democracy and social transformation.
Solidarity with Western Sahara: Reaffirm the SACP’s unwavering support for the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and national independence. The SACP condemns Morocco’s illegal occupation and calls for the isolation of Morocco until it complies with international law, including United Nations resolutions.
Resisting US imperialism and neo-colonialism
The SACP condemns the increasingly aggressive actions of the United States imperialism in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and beyond, aimed at destabilising governments, exploiting resources and undermining sovereignty. We commit to:
Stand with nations at the forefront of resisting US aggression, including Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia.
Strengthen the Southern Africa Progressive Forum to nurture ideas, alliances, and platforms to counter imperialism and neo-colonialism.
Focus on the Middle East and the Axis of Resistance
The SACP expresses its steadfast support for the Axis of Resistance, encompassing nations and movements standing against imperialist aggression in the Middle East. We condemn the ongoing attacks on Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Iran by imperialist forces and their regional proxies, including Israel and Turkey.
Palestine: We reaffirm our support for the Palestinian struggle against the apartheid Israeli settler regime and occupation. We reaffirm our support for South Africa’s leadership in pursuing accountability for the apartheid Israeli settler regime genocide on Palestinians and other war crimes at the International Court of Justice. The SACP calls for expanding the “Red Card Israel” campaign and mobilising global participation in the annual “Week 4 Palestine.”
Syria: We condemn the US-, Israel- and Turkey-backed imperialist-driven collapse of Syria’s sovereignty, which aims to shift the balance of forces in the Middle East.
Iran: Recognise Iran’s critical role in resisting imperialism in the region and opposing destabilisation efforts by the US and its allies.
Latin America: Strengthening ties with socialist allies
The SACP celebrates the resilience of socialist governments in Latin America despite sustained imperialist aggression. We recommit to:
Deepen solidarity with Cuba, supporting its recovery from Hurricane Oscar and calling for the immediate lifting of the inhumane US blockade.
Support Venezuela in its fight against US-imposed sanctions and recognise President Nicolás Maduro’s re-election as a reaffirmation of the Venezuelan people’s commitment to socialism.
Promote annual solidarity campaigns such as “Hands Off Cuba” and “Venezuela Solidarity Week” to raise awareness and mobilise resources for these nations’ socialist advancements.
Revitalising progressive alliances
The SACP underscores the importance of revitalising class-conscious organisations to confront imperialism and neo-colonialism. We commit to:
Reviving the African Left Networking Forum (ALNEF) to provide a platform for strategic analysis and coordination.
Strengthening ties with African trade unions to rebuild their independence, refocus on worker struggles, and counter co-optation by elites.
Encouraging the formation and growth of Communist Parties across the continent to advance ideological clarity and revolutionary praxis.
Exploring lessons from international popular fronts contesting elections to inform strategies for building alliances that challenge imperialism and advance working-class power in South Africa.
Conclusion
This Fifth Special National Congress emerges at a decisive moment for our country and the working class. In the name of Chris Hani, we rededicate ourselves to defending the gains of the National Democratic Revolution and advancing the struggle for socialism. With renewed determination, we commit to confronting the social and economic crises of our time caused by the exploitative system of capitalism, challenging neo-liberal policies and building a future of equality and dignity for all.
Socialism or barbarism!
Victory to the working class!
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