Years |
Important events
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Other important
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Important International events |
| 1912 | Launch of the ANC | ||
| 1914 | First World War A war between imperialists |
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| 1915 | The ISL Launch of the International Socialist League |
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| 1917 | The Bolshevik Revolution The world's first socialist state is born |
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| 1919 | ICU Launched In a few years, it sweeps through the country |
Communist International (CI) launched | |
| 1921 | Launch of the CPSA The first Marxist Leninist party in Africa is formed, emerging from revolutionary socialist active among white workers |
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| 1922 | Rand Revolt The most militant white workers' strike is anti-boss- and anti-black workers! |
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| 1924 | Africanisation of the Party Stalwarts such as JB Marks and Johannes Nkosi join the party |
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| 1926 | ICU expels communists The ICU's star begins to fade |
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| 1927 | JT Gumede elected ANC President A new progressive leadership emerges |
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| 1928 | Emergence of African Leadership 1600 of the CPSA's 1750 members are black |
CI 6th Congress the task of the South african communist is to transform the ANC 'into a fighting nationalist revolutionary organisation' |
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| 1929 | Black Republic thesis The CPSA developes a strategic line, with the assistance of the Communist International:'The most direct line of advance to soccialism runs through the mass struggle for majority rule' |
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| Early 30s | Factionalism The CI also has negative effects: Factionalism leads to the expulsion of veterans like SP Bunting |
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| 1935 | All African Convection Forerunner of today's broad front politics |
CI 7th congress Dimitrov urges 'united fronts, not left-sectarianism, in the face of the fascist onslaught |
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| Late 30s | Non-sectarianism A non-sectarian leadership emerges around Moses Kotane |
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1939 |
Second World War | ||
| 1941-5 | Stonger Structures Strong CPSA branches are built in the townships. Communists also play leading roles in building the Congress movement |
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| 1941 | CNETU Formed Congress of Non-European Trade Unions launched as South Africa's manufacturing industry booms |
Soviet Union invaded Hilter's froces slaughter 20-million Soviet citizens...but are finally crushed |
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1945 |
Cold War The anti-fascist war ends,but imperialism leads a renewed anti-communist propaganda war |
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1946 |
Black miner's strike 100 000 miners strike, led by JB Marksa long standing Party member |
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| 1948 | National Party elected whites-only parliament |
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| 1949 | ANC Programme of Action The ANC moves towards a more militant, mass line |
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| 1950 | CPSA Banned | ||
| 1950s | Years of ANC-led mass action Defiance Campaign, Congress of the People, boycotts and national strikes |
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| 1953 | SACP Launched A new underground Party is launched |
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| Late 50s | African decolonisation African countries begin to win political independence |
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| 1959 | PAC split On a right-wing,anti socialist platform, Sobukwe splits from the ANC |
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| 1960s | Southern African guerilla wars Liberation movements in Angola, Mozambique, and then Namibia and Zimbabwe launch armed struggles |
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| 1960 | ANC banned | ||
| 1961 | Armed Struggle On December 16, Umkhonto we Sizwe is launched |
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| 1962 | Road to Freedom At an underground conference,the SACP adopts a new programme |
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| Mid 60s | Repression Hundreds of communists are jailed. Some, like Vuyisile Mini, are sent to the gallows |
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| 1967 | Wankie and Sipolilo campaigns With ZIPRA comrades, MK combatants fight Zimbabwe |
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| 1969 | ANC Morogoro Conference | ||
| 1970 | Augmented Central Committee The SACP reviews 9 years of armed struggle and concludeds:' Armed struggle without mass mobilisation and organisation will lead nowwhere' |
These struggles result in ...... | |
| 1971 | Internal reconstruction The Party rebuilds its clandestine structures. Inkululeko appears - a voice from ther underground |
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| 1973 | Durban strikes A new era of trade unionism begins |
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| Mid 70s | Independence for Mozambique for
Mozambique and Angola and...... |
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| 1976/7 | Uprisings The start of 15 years of semi insurrectionary struggles |
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| 1980 | Independence for Zimbabwe | ||
| 1896 | 65th Anniversary Inspired by the growth of a powerful union movement, the SACP reasserts a more independent profile |
Perestroika/glasnost Faced with an economic crisis, the Soviet Union begins a struggle to re-connect socialism with its democratic roots |
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| 1989 | 7th Party Congress A new Party programme is adopted |
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| 1990 | Relaunch The SACP is unbanned, and relaunched at a mass rally in Soweto |
1989 COSATU Launched |