The United Front was formally launched in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

in 2015, following a preparatory activities in 2014, including a summit in November of 350 delegates representing

labour unions A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

, social movements and popular organisations, faith-based organisations, NGOs and anti-capitalist formations. It was launched with the support of the

National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) is the biggest single trade union in South Africa with more than 338,000 members, and prior to its expulsion on 8 November 2014, the largest affiliate of the Congress of South African Tr ...

(NUMSA), which severed ties with the

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a Social democracy, social-democratic political party in Republic of South Africa, South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when ...

and

South African Communist Party The South African Communist Party (SACP) is a communist party in South Africa. It was founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), tactically dissolved itself in 1950 in the face of being declared illegal by the governing Na ...

at its December 2013 congress and to foster left-wing alternatives. While NUMSA defined itself as Marxist-Leninist, it envisaged the United Front as open to a range of forces, and as distinct from NUMSA itself. Significant differences of opinion emerged in the United Front from an early stage. The United Front effectively supplanted the

Democratic Left Front The Democratic Left Front was formed as a non-sectarian and non-authoritarian anti-capitalist front in South Africa. It was formed from the ''Conference for a Democratic Left'' launched in 2008, at an event held in Johannesburg in January 2011. It ...

, a smaller formation which had been established in 2011, itself founded following the collapse of the

Anti-Privatisation Forum The Anti-Privatisation Forum (APF) was established in Johannesburg in July 2000 by activists and organisations involved in two key anti-privatisation struggles: the struggle against iGoli 2002, and the struggle against Wits 2001 at Wits University ...

. Given the connection to NUMSA, both the

Congress of South African Trade Unions The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is a trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions ...

(COSATU) which had expelled NUMSA, and the

, remained outside the United Front, the party proposing an alternative "left popular front" (LPF).South African Communist Party Central Committee, 21 September 2018, "Building a left popular front: Central Committee political report", online at http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politics/building-a-left-popular-front--sacp-cc

References

{{Political history of South Africa Political organisations based in South Africa Socialism in South Africa Socialist organizations