Solly Mapaila, General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP), has opposed the privatization of Eskom, a state-owned company, claiming that it would raise power prices, particularly given the country’s energy crisis.
Mapaila made the comments at a press conference following the party’s weekend plenary meeting. Instead, he urged the government to back Eskom as a public enterprise to foster industrialization, energy security, and a just energy transition.
The party also stated that its choice on the upcoming general election will be determined by its involvement in reconfiguring the tripartite alliance. Due to the ANC’s exclusion of the SACP and Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) from important decisions, the SACP has previously considered contesting the 2024 election without the African National Congress (ANC).
Furthermore, following the issuance of an arrest order for Russian President Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court (ICC), the SACP has called on the South African government to withdraw from the court.
In its 2017 national conference, the ANC resolved to withdraw from the ICC, but subsequently reversed its decision in 2022. Thulas Nxesi, Deputy National Chairperson of the SACP, claimed that the ICC and the United States have double standards, charging the court of selective justice.
Nxesi mentioned the United States’ participation in Iraq and its avoidance of accountability, even though it is not a member of the ICC, as an example of double standards. The party believes the ICC should be disbanded due to perceived unfairness and the negative impact on African nations.
