SACP Objects To Progressive ANC Voters Network
The SACP is worried about the founding of the Progressive ANC Voters Network, a ‘caucus’ (for want of a better more official sounding word) whose founders include TAC leader Zackie Achmat, who still confounds me with his decision to publicly support the ANC despite the ANC controlled government wishing he would just go away and die (literally). I guess that’s idealism.
The fact that there are internal movements within ANC membership is not really a suprise but these have always been unofficial and more of a loose affiliation than a formal organisation like the Progressive ANC Voters Network aims to be. Nevertheless they are extremely important. Thabo Mbeki managed to get the influential ‘Islanders’ (ANC politicians who had done time on Robben Island- Mandela) to back him and his ‘Exiles’ (ANC politicians who spent most of the struggle in exile) over the much more popular Cyril Ramaphosa. And of course Jacob Zuma has his pals in the ‘Operation Vula’ gang.
Now these affiliations and groupings are pretty much an open secret but they are only discussed behind closed doors as the ANC loves to do. Which is probably why the SACP objects to this as I would guess a ‘progressive’ network such as the one Achmat has started could steal some of the leftist thunder from the SACP.