Members at the Launch of SACP Ward 7 Branch in Mothomeng.
After years of organizational lull, the South African Communist Party (SACP) is aggressively reclaiming its historical presence in the Relela Cluster.
Following the historic resolution by the SACP to contest elections independently from the traditional African National Congress (ANC)-led Tripartite Alliance—including COSATU and SANCO—many veterans are dusting off their Marxism-Leninism texts to lead party building alongside a dynamic new generation of cadres.
While veterans led the Party through its halcyon days, the resurgence comes with a solemn tribute to fallen stalwarts like the late Mokwape Edwin Malatji. Honoring their legacy, seasoned activists including Mack Makete, Molebatsi Masedi, and Bethuel Mokgwathi are driving the campaign to rebuild structures and position the SACP directly on the ballot.
Rebuilding from the Ground Up
The groundwork began two weeks ago when old and new SACP members gathered at the Caorse Dream Stream in Ward 8 to officially constitute the Relela Cluster Coordinating Structure. The structure was mandated to rebuild branch capacities, coordinate voter outreach, and run a streamlined campaign across all voting districts in the cluster.
Building on that momentum, a follow-up cluster meeting convened on Saturday, drawing an expanded delegation of veterans, new members, and delegates from neighboring branches. The primary objective was to map out a clear program to “paint the Relela Cluster Red” through rapid branch launches and the aggressive rollout of the Party’s local government elections manifesto.
Addressing the gathering, Solly Malatji from the Limpopo SACP Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) delivered a political input and update on electoral readiness. The meeting also received messages of support and appreciation from Lawrence Phokanoka District Secretary Dr. McDonald Sibuyi, Limpopo Provincial Chairperson Percy Ndlala, and SACP General Secretary Solly Africa Mapaila—himself a native son of Mothomeng in Ward 7.
Ward 7 Launch and Courtesy Visit
The political momentum translated into immediate action on Sunday with the official launch of the Ward 7 Branch. The launch meeting elected a new executive committee blending administrative experience with grassroots youth vigour:
- Chairperson: Mbombi Marcus
- Deputy Chairperson: Mahasha Ronny
- Secretary: Makgobatlou Eddy
- Deputy Secretary: Ngobeni Samuel
- Treasurer: Mathye Cecil
The launch was overseen by a high-level delegation. The Lawrence Phokanoka District Executive was led by District Chairperson Nelson Ramokgola, while the Limpopo PEC delegation was led by Solly Malatji, with both delivering fiery political inputs. Delivering messages of support on behalf of the Relela Cluster Coordinating Team, SACP veterans Molebatsi Masedi and Bethuel Mokgwathi commended the branch for taking the lead and urged the incoming executive to maintain disciplined, working-class activism.
Following the successful conclusion of the Ward 7 launch, the leadership paid a high-profile courtesy visit to the sister of SACP General Secretary Solly Africa Mapaila at her home in Mothomeng Village, reinforcing the deep-rooted family and political ties the Party shares with the local community.
National Campaign Engine Shifts to High Gear
The structural revival in Relela coincides with an intensive national preparation drive. On Monday, SACP structures across all nine provinces participated in an online “Training the Trainers” workshop designed to prepare Provincial, District, and Sub-district Training Teams ahead of a massive nationwide candidate workshop rollout scheduled for the weekend.
The national training initiative aims to equip candidates with the political skills, electoral legislation knowledge, and governance toolkits required for effective municipal administration.
National Candidate Training Targets:
- Ward Candidates: 4,418
- Proportional Representation (PR) Candidates: 3,144
- Total Candidates Scheduled for Training: 7,562
With Ward 7 officially launched, candidate training underway, and additional ward structures reactivating across the cluster, the SACP’s campaign machine in Relela is fully operational as veterans and young cadres unitarily prepare to test their independent electoral strength.
Branch Chairperson Marcus Mbombi and Lawrence Phokanoka, District Chairperson Nel Ramokgola, led the courtesy call on the Sister of the SACP General Secretary, Solly Africa Mapaila, in Mothomeng Ward 7 to greet and present the new branch leadership.