Former president Nelson Mandela was a member of the South African Communist Party’s (SACP’s) central executive committee at the time of his arrest in 1962, the SACP and the African National Congress (ANC) confirmed on Friday. Even though it had always been denied, the ANC and the SACP confirmed that Mr Mandela had served on the party’s central executive committee in their statements paying tribute to the antiapartheid icon. There had been much debate about the issue among historians and academics. SACP deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila on Thursday said he was a member of the party, but it was denied at the time for “political reasons”. “There was a … Continue reading Natasha Marrian