The MKP has confirmed it will attend the South African Communist Party’s (SACP’s) Conference of the Left on Friday, this as alliance partner of the SACP, the ANC, said it would not attend.

The alliance between senior partner the ANC and the SACP has been growing more contentious since the SACP announced it would contest the upcoming local elections independently.

The ANC describes the conference as a “coalition of negation”.

The SACP responded, calling the ANC’s decision “arrogant and indicative of an inward-looking and self-glorifying tendency of those in high positions in the ANC at this time”.

The three-day Conference of the Left takes place at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg from Friday to Sunday.

MKP national spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu says the party intends to participate “constructively and in good faith”, noting that the objective of the event is to engage with “other progressive” organisations, labour formations, community movements, intellectuals, and activists regarding the future direction of the country.

"The conference must therefore move beyond rhetoric and focus on practical programmes that can improve the lives of workers, the unemployed, rural communities, women, youth, and marginalised groups across the country," Mahlangu says.

He stresses that the current national climate demands practical solutions rather than “simple ideology or empty slogans”.

The MKP clarified the organisational structure of the event, stating that the SACP is not leading the MKP in this initiative.

Instead, Mahlangu explains that the Conference of the Left is being collectively convened through a dedicated steering committee.

The MKP says it views the gathering as a critical opportunity for progressive politics in South Africa and stresses the need to rebuild trust among progressive forces and reconnect with communities.

Mahlangu says the conference presents an important opportunity to unite progressive voices around a practical programme for economic emancipation, industrial development, food security, land justice, service delivery and accountable leadership.