by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE South African Communist Party (SACP) has accused the United States of clinging to its fading global dominance through military aggression and economic coercion, warning that the rise of the Global South, led by the BRICS bloc, is reshaping the world order.
BRICS, initially formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
The bloc now represents a significant counterweight to Western influence, particularly in trade and geopolitics.
Speaking at the SACP Central Committee plenary in Johannesburg, General Secretary Solly Mapaila accused Washington of “unprovoked aggression,” citing sanctions, trade tariffs, and military interventions.
He pointed to US naval deployments near Venezuela as a veiled attempt to destabilise the socialist government of President Nicolás Maduro.
“The SACP condemns the US violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty and calls for the withdrawal of US forces and the lifting of illegal sanctions,” Mapaila said, noting that Caracas has long been punished for pursuing independent economic policies.
He argued that alternative blocs such as BRICS were consolidating ties and advancing multipolarity.
“The oil trade between Russia and India, maintained despite US objections, demonstrates the growing autonomy of Global South nations,” he said.
The SACP also linked US foreign policy to crises in Africa and beyond. On Sudan, where civil war has claimed an estimated 150,000 lives and displaced millions, Mapaila said imperialist competition for resources was worsening the conflict.
“Both warring factions must be held accountable for genocide, ethnic cleansing and sexual violence,” he said, urging African solidarity to rebuild Sudan.
The party renewed its longstanding condemnation of Washington’s blockade of Cuba, describing it as “unjust and illegal” under international law.
Cuba, despite more than 50 years of sanctions, remains a symbol of socialist resistance, Mapaila argued, calling for deeper South African-Cuban cooperation.
Turning to the Middle East, he described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide,” highlighting attacks on civilians, health workers and journalists.
“The US enables these atrocities. The SACP calls for unwavering solidarity with Palestine, as well as with Syria and Lebanon, which also face imperialist intervention,” he added.
The SACP further marked the 80th anniversary of China’s victory in the People’s Resistance against Japanese aggression, crediting the milestone as foundational to China’s emergence as a modern power.
The party reaffirmed its support for pro-democracy movements in Eswatini and for the people of Western Sahara in their struggle against Moroccan occupation.
Looking ahead, Mapaila said the SACP would revive the Africa Left Network Forum and launch a Southern Front of Solidarity to unite progressive forces, trade unions and social movements across the Global South.
“Our mission is to strengthen regional and continental cooperation to advance the struggles of the working class,” he concluded.
– CAJ News