Sunday, 14 June 2026: The South African Communist Party (SACP) conveys its message of heartfelt condolences to the family of Comrade Naledzani Mashapa. The SACP also sends its message of condolences to our progressive movement, which he served with dignity.

A dedicated comrade and leader, Comrade Naledzani Mashapa cut his teeth in the vibrant student movement in the 90s. He contributed to the students’ struggles for free quality education, led the South African Students Congress at the regional level and would later emerge as the organisation’s president. He served the student movement with humility, conviction and unwavering commitment to the struggle for social justice and transformation.

Comrade Nale was a revered intellectual in the ranks of the progressive movement. His remarkable intellectual attributes placed him as one of the most respected minds in the history of South African politics. Cde Nale’s contribution spanned the whole movement from student movement to the youth movement, the Communist Party, the trade union movement and the civic movement, moving from one sector to the other applying his remarkable intellect to advance the revolutionary cause. The SACP treasures the contributions of Comrade Nale to itself as an organisation and as such we mourn with his family, his friends and his comrades.

His struggle was not narrowly focused on South African issues, however. As an internationalist, he was ever-present in solidarity actions, especially protests in support of the Palestinian liberation struggle. Throughout his life, Comrade Mashapa called for the imposition of an arms embargo on Israel, as well as an international sanction of all companies of apartheid Israel and disinvestment in Israeli companies. As the SACP, we reiterate our call for the end of Israeli apartheid in Palestine and for the freedom of the people of Palestine. We also call for the international prosecution of Israeli leaders who have committed genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Palestine.

In memory of Comrade Naledzani Mashapa, the SACP calls for unity of the working class in pursuit of social emancipation. Towards this goal, the SACP continues to work towards uniting the forces of the left, as manifested in the Conference of the Left, in order to achieve the social goals which Comrade Mashapa stood for.

ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY,
FOUNDED IN 1921 AS THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA.
 
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