SAPCO keeping the faith despite election struggles

South African Progressive Civic Organisation (SAPCO) is one of the many up and coming parties that have fallen on the sidelines of this year’s elections. With only 637 votes, the new political party continues to be hopeful in its quest for social justice and building capacity in communities.

Predominantly fighting for the rights of South Africa’s coloured and indigenous populations, SAPCO hopes to provide social justice for the needs of the people. National Organiser for SAPCO, Colin Adams, was not surprised at the outcome but continues to have faith in his party.

“To a certain degree, nothing surprised us. I expected it to go this way. The trends were the same like the last election. So the percentage is dropping but that may change as the day gets older.”

SAPCO, like many new political parties, was not entitled to government funding and was expected to obtain their own funds for this year’s elections. Adams says the party’s struggle to obtain funding for its registration fee is because the party primarily consists of farmers and civics in poor areas.

“New parties do not get any help from governments. You need to be in the government structure to get funds from government. We mainly consist of farmers and civics in poor areas. It was quite difficult to come up with the R50 000 average expected for the province itself to register. It was a challenge for us but we got hold of it. There was no rich people or other parties that supported us, we came in and we decided not to form alliances with any other groups and try to maintain high values and standards. We, at this stage haven’t agreed with any person or any party to stand. So we got no support except from members on the ground which is civic and some indigenous people we are also representing the first nation as Khoisan myself.”

Adams says despite the party’s budgeting struggles and their low voter rating, SAPCO is “here to stay”.

“We are not going to disappear, and that is a promise to all of our supporters. We’re not like other political parties that were formed because they were bitter against their positions of what they didn’t get or if a political party didn’t treat them well. We were formed to serve the community and we were mandated by the civics to say look, try and get some muscle, some political power into this organisation, so we can have a better say to the indigenous people out there. We think we can legitimately vote it for ourselves. That is our purpose.”

SAPCO was established due to the lack of basic needs in coloured and indigenous communities. Such basic needs include overcrowded trains, substandard living conditions and a lack of jobs.

“It has even been said by the leaders of this province that our houses are substandard, especially those not being whitened. 52% of housing is not fit and decent for humans to live in there. A house is not a house if it doesn’t have electricity, water and sanitation. Unfortunately, the poor is really neglected in this province. We have to get on overcrowded trains, we are thrown and pushed out of doors and windows because there is not enough space for people travelling back to their homes in the mornings.”

Adams continues to be hopeful despite election struggles and believes that the party’s strong beliefs to uphold social justice within coloured and indigenous communities is something worth fighting for.

“We were thrown in the deep end in this election. The tasks upon us was too much in a too short time. We had no funds, though that was our main obstacle in doing an effective job. But how can I serve my people better? I had to decide whether the ANC is giving us our services. As an organisation, we live here. We experience poverty, we experience crime, we know what it is not to be policed because the police are on the other side where there are better services. This is why we were born.”

Much of SAPCO’s optimism for the running of next year’s elections stemmed from the party’s growing support towards their beliefs. Although there have been challenges, Adam is adamant that SAPCO will improve in the next elections by gaining community trust.

“Our party will of course look at different challenges….we will need to go back to the farms, we will need to go back to the people on the ground, we will have to go back to the communities to say: You choose the people you want as your leaders, let it be your people, let it be the people’s government and not some individual seeing how they can just gain a better Mercedes or a better house…”

Ansha Krishnan, International Intern