SACP: 'Premier League' must be dismantled
The South African Communist Party (SACP) has warned the African National Congress (ANC) to rid itself of factionalism in the run-up to the ruling party's elective conference later this year.
Speaking at the 22nd commemoration of the death former SACP leader Joe Slovo in Soweto, SACP deputy secretary Solly Mapaila made reference to the so-called Premier League - a group of provincial premiers said to be in support of President Jacob Zuma.
The ANC is due hold its elective conference at the end of 2017, and there are fears that the election of a new leadership could sow further divisions within the ruling party.
Mapaila told those in attendance that the SACP could never be in alliance with a particular faction in the ANC.
"We want principled unity, not unity with factions. No matter how strong the faction is in the movement, we can never enter into an alliance with it," Mapaila said.
He then went on to question the failure of the ANC leadership to deal with the 'Premier League'.
"We have called on our movement, for instance, to deal decisively with factions in the movement - to dismantle henceforth the faction called the Premier League. Because that one, at least it is known. Those comrades, they have never denied it."
"Why is the leadership unable to confront this faction and dismantle it? It should not exist, because once it exists and it (do) wrong things in the name of the African National Congress, it puts us in a dilemma as to who do we relate with."
Mapaila says the emergence of a 'conservative populism' within the ANC is causing considerable damage to the country. He called on the party to focus on its raison d'être - uniting the people of the South Africa and Africa.