By Thabo Mosia
The South African Communist Party (SACP) is set to launch its annual Red October Campaign for 2024-2025, focusing on the fight against the rising cost of living. Scheduled for Friday, 1 November 2024, the campaign will kick off with a people’s march in Tshwane. The protest will start at Burgers Park on Lillian Ngoyi Street and proceed to the National Treasury on Thabo Sehume Street. SACP General Secretary Solly Mapaila is expected to deliver the keynote address, calling on South Africans to join in a collective push against economic hardships impacting the working class.
This year’s Red October Campaign highlights the urgent need to address the financial strain faced by ordinary South Africans, exacerbated by rising prices and stagnant wages. Mapaila has spoken extensively about the broader objectives of the campaign, noting that this year’s theme seeks to tackle two main crises: inflation and the resulting mental health issues, especially among the youth and economically disadvantaged. He has underscored that these challenges stem from a “rapacious capitalist system” that, he argues, prioritises profits over the well-being of citizens  .
SACP’s Stance on the Cost of Living and Economic Reforms
The Red October Campaign has long been a platform for the SACP to voice its opposition to neoliberal economic policies. Mapaila and other SACP leaders argue that economic reforms are essential to alleviate the strain on South Africans who struggle with high living costs. The campaign will include calls for government action on inflation control, prioritising affordable access to basic needs, and the rollout of the National Health Insurance (NHI), a cornerstone of SACP’s vision for a more equitable society  .
Criticism of the Government of National Unity (GNU)
In addition to the campaign’s primary focus on economic relief, Mapaila has reiterated the SACP’s criticism of the government’s decision to form a Government of National Unity (GNU) that includes the Democratic Alliance (DA). He describes the GNU as a “classist alliance” that compromises the interests of the working class, arguing that its formation aligns the government with neoliberal forces that are unlikely to champion the needs of South Africa’s poor and marginalised populations. Mapaila’s statements reflect the SACP’s position that true social cohesion cannot be achieved through alliances with parties that support capitalist interests  .
Support from Allied Organisations
The Young Communist League (YCL) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) have expressed their support for this year’s Red October Campaign, pledging solidarity in the SACP’s call for economic and social justice. Mzwandile Thakhudi, National Secretary of the YCL, highlighted that young people face an especially grim economic future marked by high unemployment and limited opportunities, stressing that a shift towards socialist policies would better address these issues. COSATU’s General Secretary, Solly Phetoe, echoed these sentiments, warning that the working class is “under siege” from economic challenges, including price hikes driven by global market pressures and internal policy failings  .
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