Recent talks between the SACP and the EFF are aimed at preparing for a “Conference of the Left”, where left-leaning organisations, trade unions, and civil society groups could coordinate around economic and political issues. The two parties have agreed to establish a joint working group to plan this cooperation. The goal appears to be consolidating “progressive forces” around shared concerns such as poverty, unemployment, economic transformation, and critiques of capitalism. This is interesting because the SACP is historically part of the Tripartite Alliance, alongside the African National Congress (ANC) and Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). We speak to Author of Blame Me On Apartheid and A Dream Betrayed,  Thamsanqa Malinga as we unpack whether we are entering a new phase where ideological alliances matter more than historical ones?