Solly Mapaila
{{short description|South African politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use South African English|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Solly Mapaila
|office = 14th General Secretary of the South African Communist Party
|term_start = 15 July 2022
|term_end =
|1blankname = First Deputy
|1namedata = Madala Masuku
|2blankname = Second Deputy
|2namedata = David Masondo
|predecessor = Blade Nzimande
|office1 = First Deputy General Secretary of the South African Communist Party
|term_start1 = July 2017
|term_end1 = July 2022
|1blankname1 = General Secretary
|1namedata1 = Blade Nzimande
|predecessor1 = Jeremy Cronin
|successor1 = Madala Masuku
|office2 = Second Deputy General Secretary of the South African Communist Party
|term_start2 = July 2012
|term_end2 = July 2017
|1blankname2 = General Secretary
|1namedata2 = Blade Nzimande
|predecessor2 = Jeremy Cronin
|successor2 = Chris Matlhako
|birth_date =
|birth_place =
|death_date =
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|party = South African Communist Party
|otherparty = African National Congress
{{small|(Tripartite Alliance)}}
|relations =
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Solly Afrika Mapaila is a South African politician who is the General Secretary of the South African Communist Party. He was elected unopposed on 15 July 2022 in his current position at the SACP National Congress.{{Cite web |last=Khumalo |first=Juniour |title=Solly Mapaila elected unopposed as SACP general secretary as Nzimande becomes chair |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/politics/solly-mapaila-elected-unopposed-as-sacp-general-secretary-as-nzimande-becomes-chair-20220716 |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} Solly Mapaila was appointed as the Second Deputy General Secretary of the South African Communist Party in 2012.{{cite web | title = SACP's 'Comrade Crackdown' takes control | url = http://mg.co.za/article/2012-07-27-00-sacp-comrade-crackdown-takes-control | access-date = 2017-02-10 }}{{cite web | title = South African Communist Party | url = http://www.sacp.orgs.za/main.php?D=3404 | access-date = 2017-02-10 }}
Career
Mapaila was a member of Umkhonto weSizwe and operated outside of South Africa prior to 1994. On returning to South Africa in 1994, he was integrated into the South African Defence Force and stationed at Thaba Tshwane.
He is a critic of corruption in the African National Congress and the South African government,{{cite news | last =Stone | first =Setumo | title =The ANC is not the God of the revolution| newspaper =News24 | location =Cape Town | date =12 March 2017 | url =http://m.news24.com/news24/SouthAfrica/News/the-anc-is-not-the-god-of-the-revolution-20170312-2 | access-date =12 March 2017 }} and of the leadership of former South African president, Jacob Zuma.{{cite news | title =SACP, ANC at loggerheads over Zuma | newspaper =South African Broadcasting Corporation | date =29 August 2016 | url =http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/e11194804e0a219a8259b35173dc1eac/SACP,undefinedANCundefinedatundefinedloggerheadsundefinedoverundefinedZuma-20162908 | access-date =12 March 2017 }}{{cite news | last =Mkokeli | first =Sam |last2 =Sguazzin| first2 =Antony| title =ANC’s Communist Allies Say Party Losing Grip on South Africa | newspaper =Bloomberg Markets | date =1 November 2016 | url =https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-01/anc-s-communist-allies-warn-its-grip-on-south-africa-in-peril | access-date =12 March 2016 }} A group of Zuma supporters threatened to open criminal charges against him if he continued to say that the president is corrupt.{{Cite news|url=http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/justice-safety/sacp-leader-could-face-criminal-charges-over-zuma-criticism-9442349|title=SACP leader could face criminal charges over Zuma criticism {{!}} IOL|access-date=2017-07-08|language=en}}
Mapaila directly questioned the purported intelligence report titled "Operation Checkmate" used by President Jacob Zuma to fire the former Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan.{{cite news |last=Pillay |first=Verashni |date=30 March 2017 |title='For God's Sakes People!' SACP's Solly Mapaila Rubbishes Operation Checkmate Claims Against Pravin Gordhan |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.za/2017/03/30/for-gods-sakes-people-sacps-solly-mapaila-rubbishes-operati_a_22018399/ |access-date=4 April 2017 |newspaper=The Huffington Post South Africa |location=Johannesburg}} He led calls from within the Tripartite Alliance for the resignation of President Jacob Zuma.{{cite news | title =The party will not fall into the trap of false unity| newspaper =Business Day | location =Johannesburg | date =4 April 2017 | url =https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/politics/2017-04-04-business-day-tv-the-party-will-not-fall-into-the-trap-of-false-unity/| access-date =4 April 2017 }}
Mapaila was considered a leading candidate to succeed Blade Nzimande as general secretary of the SACP for a number of years and was ultimately elected to this position in 2022.{{cite news | last =Hunter | first =Qaanitah | title =Tearful Blade ready to call time on the SACP| newspaper = Sunday Times | location =Johannesburg | date = 17 August 2016| url =http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/stnews/2016/07/17/Tearful-Blade-ready-to-call-time-on-the-SACP | access-date =12 March 2017 }}
References
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Category:People from Msunduzi Local Municipality
Category:South African Communist Party politicians
Category:African National Congress politicians
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
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