Solly mapaila biography of william

ANALYSIS

The South African Communist Party is at a crossroads, negotiating which path to walk in terms of detaching itself from the ANC and contesting the 2019 elections independently, as well as determining the leaders who will see them along the path they choose.

No matter the path, it is the leadership that will eventually determine the party's fate.

Although he was elected in 2012, the party's now first deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila has grown in popularity -- enjoying support from both inside and outside the party, especially within the past year.

Some provinces in the SACP's structure called for Mapaila to lead, and support for him became more evident on Wednesday when songs were sung in Mapaila's name after the congress was given messages of support by its partners, including the ANC.

Mapaila has marketed himself effectively as a communist leader true to the values instilled by pre-democratic leaders before him.

He gained his reputation by fearlessly g