SACP set on ‘divorcing' the ANC
The communist party has rejected overtures from its alliance partner and will contest the 2026 local government elections independently
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Daily Maverick
2 hours ago
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SACP hits back at ANC over ultimatum to ‘choose a side' before 2026 elections
As the SACP prepares to contest the 2026 local government elections independently, it insists members can still hold dual membership with the ANC. However, the ANC constitution prohibits supporting other parties and warns of disciplinary action. The South African Communist Party (SACP) has rejected the notion that its decision to contest the 2026 elections independently should force its members to choose between it and the ANC, insisting that dual membership remains a foundational principle of the Tripartite Alliance. This comes after comments made by ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, suggesting that individuals who are members of both the ANC and SACP and deployed in Cabinet positions might have to pick a side. Among those who may be forced to choose where their allegiance lies are recently appointed Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela, Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande. 'In our view, the resolution of the SACP is forcing members to choose between the ANC and the SACP. So the notion of dual membership doesn't fall away, but the implication of that decision essentially says, choose between the ANC and the SACP,' Mbalula said on Wednesday, 7 August. He was briefing journalists at the party's headquarters, Luthuli House, on the resolutions of the NEC's meeting over the weekend. The SACP is of a different view. It believes that dual membership has long been central to the alliance and cannot be dismissed due to electoral competition. SACP spokesperson Mbulelo Mandlana said, 'The principle of dual membership in the alliance predates the electoral era of the South African revolution. The inconveniences of the era of elections should not be used to justify undermining the centrality of the principle of dual membership.' Daily Maverick understands that a task team was established during the parties' last bilateral meeting to look into how the two organisations would work together before and after the elections. However, the team has not met since its formation. Asked about this, Mandlana said, 'The task team tasked with developing the framework for how the alliance will function has not yet delivered any outcomes. The SACP remains committed to the process.' It is unclear how the two will proceed since ANC's constitution prohibits dual membership. Rule 4.19(b) states: 'Any member who supports a political organisation or party other than an organisation in alliance with the ANC in a manner contrary to the aims, objectives and policy of the ANC shall be liable for disciplinary action.' Slow start The SACP has long been a central partner in the Tripartite Alliance, alongside the ANC and Cosatu. Over the years, it has supported the ANC during elections, had access to its election strategies, participated in workshops and played a role in processes such as the selection of public representatives. But according to Mbalula, the SACP's latest decision means these longstanding arrangements will now have to be reviewed. Mounting tensions within the alliance, particularly under the presidency of Jacob Zuma, led the SACP to begin re-evaluating its position. At its congress in July 2017, the party resolved to explore the possibility of contesting elections independently, especially in areas where the alliance was seen as dysfunctional or where the ANC was no longer viewed as representing the interests of the working class. Later that year, in November, the SACP contested its first by-election in the Metsimaholo Local Municipality in the Free State. The party secured three out of 21 council seats and garnered about 6,000 votes. The by-election followed the dissolution of the 2016 municipal council due to political instability. Two weeks ago, the party contested yet another by-election, this time in Polokwane, and garnered only 70 votes, representing just 1%. Despite underperforming, Mandlana said the party had learnt lessons which would be key in the 2026 polls. 'Winning or failing to win at this point was not the focal point, but evaluating these dynamics by being on the ground was more primary than other considerations. To that end, the SACP derives neither disappointment nor satisfaction from the numerical results, but key strategic lessons to build from,' he said. Clinging on In a week or two, the NEC will hold a special meeting which will look at local government issues. Mbalula said the NEC would also use that meeting to finalise its position on how the two parties would work together, heading into the elections. Mbalula appeared to suggest that there would still be engagements with the SACP, possibly to reverse the decision, but this would be possible only once the party held its next congress. 'We may as well fail, at some point, to persuade them out of this thing of contesting for elections. And when that happens, we are now going to have to look into, in the next two weeks, the implications of this decision and how we are going to operate as the two parties going forward, because there's a lot of implications in relation to this decision,' Mbalula said. Mandlana said the talks between the SACP and ANC were simply an attempt by the two allies to work out how their alliance should function under new circumstances, especially now that the Communist Party was on the ballot for the first time since 1994. 'Persuasion to change the party decision was never on the table, in truth,' he said. Expanding the GNU The ANC is also dealing with challenges concerning the Government of National Unity (GNU). Last week, party president Cyril Ramaphosa said the NEC had reaffirmed that forming the GNU over a year ago was the right decision, as it had brought about stability. However, the NEC has also resolved to reconfigure the GNU and engage with political parties outside the current arrangement, specifically those aligned with the ANC's objectives that the party wouldn't need to constantly negotiate with for support on key parliamentary votes. The aim is to stabilise governance and push through important reforms. This follows the GNU's fragility since its formation, as well as ongoing policy differences. When asked how this reconfiguration would work and whether the ANC had considered the views of its current partners, particularly the DA, Mbalula said the party would first speak to existing members of the GNU. 'We have been mandated in terms of the Statement of Intent; we have to talk to the partners in the GNU, which is what we are going to do,' Mbalula said.
Mail & Guardian
5 hours ago
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SACP set on ‘divorcing' the ANC
Going it alone: The ANC is not happy with the decision by the SACP to contest elections independently of its alliance partner. Photo: File The communist party has rejected overtures from its alliance partner and will contest the 2026 local government elections independently This content is restricted to subscribers only . Join the M&G Community Our commitment at the Mail & Guardian is to ensure every reader enjoys the finest experience. Join the M&G community and support us in delivering in-depth news to you consistently. Subscription enables: - M&G community membership - independent journalism - access to all premium articles & features - a digital version of the weekly newspaper - invites to subscriber-only events - the opportunity to test new online features first Already a subscriber?
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