Mbeki calls for implementation of inclusive national dialogue

Former president Thabo Mbeki has urged government to implement an inclusive national dialogue.

Mbeki addressed the South African Communist Party (SACP) conference in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg on Saturday.

Mbeki says the country has been stricken by massive unemployment, poverty and lawlessness.

He added that South Africans should intervene to determine their destiny.

“You’ve got an additional task this year, the additional task is very critical important because it is about the people deciding where their own country should go, its no longer Codesa, when we at in Codesa in 1990 whatever, it was a political formation and this time its political formations plus the people.”

SACP Congress | Changing the lives of all people – Solly Mapaila:

Meanwhile, SACP General Secretary Solly Mapaila says their participation in the 2026 local government elections will not be a self-enrichment programme.

Mapaila was making his closing remarks to the SACP’s 5th Special National Congress which ended in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg yesterday.

Over the past four days, delegates were seized with the issue of the SACP’s decision to contest future elections independently from its traditional ally the ANC.

Mapaila says they want to serve the people not personal interests.

“Our platform for election is not a self enrichment programme. Ours will be humble to the people. We will serve the people first, we will serve the revolution first and we will serve the Party first. In this regard, we will expose and dispose all opportunists and we will never use the party for self interest.”