South African Communist Party

1. Related

2. Classroom

3. African National Congress (ANC)

4. Suppression of Communism Act

5. References

6. Questions on SACP

7. Sources

Classroom Questions & Exercises

on South African Communist Party

1. What is communism?
2. Name three countries that are still communist today.
3. What was the SACP initially called and when and why did it change its name?
4. When was the SACP banned and what law led to its banning?
5. Whatdid the SACP do in 1950 that led to 26 June being an important date from this point onwards?
6. How much support did the SACP have in the 1920s, and consider the role of the Industrial and Commercial Worker’s Union (ICU) in SACP popularity.
7. The SACP was one of the early multi-racial parties. Discuss the reason for this and why it lost a lot of white support after 1945.
8. Write brief biographies for two early leaders in the SACP.
9. Was it good for the SACP to align itself with the ANC in exile? Explain and assess which of the 2 organizations got more out of the alliance.
10. Do you think it is good that the ANC and SACP are still in alliance? Also consider this question in relation to COSATU, the other member of the tri-partite alliance. Explain your position.