The SACP has accused the ANC national working committee (NWC) of using the party as a scapegoat for President Jacob Zuma’s lack of consultation over the Cabinet reshuffle.
"The SACP rejects as baseless the allegation that the party leaked information from its bilateral engagements held last week with the ANC, and thereby breached [its] confidentiality commitment," party spokesman Alex Mashilo said in a statement. "On the contrary, and as we have said, the leak clearly came from the ranks of the ANC and sought to portray the SACP as if the party had agreed to the reshuffling of the former finance minister Pravin Gordhan ... that was untrue."
This comes as the ANC’s extended NWC meeting lashed out at the "serious breach of confidence" between itself and its alliance partners, the SACP and union federation Cosatu. The meeting also discussed the call by both for Zuma to resign.
Mashilo however, said the SACP had informed the ANC before communicating publicly about calling for Zuma to step down, further stating that the party was available for a meeting on the matter — "but it is completely unacceptable to scapegoat the SACP for the lack of consultation by President Jacob Zuma".
Mashilo said it was because information was leaked that the SACP felt compelled to hold a press briefing last week: "This decision to set the record straight was taken in good faith because the SACP does not communicate by means of leaks." He said the SACP would engage further with the ANC on this matter.
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