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