The South African Communist Party (SACP) is to endorse the decision by its central committee to go it alone in the 2026 local government elections and reconfigure its relationship with its ally, the ANC, at its special policy conference starting on Wednesday.
This week’s gathering in Ekurhuleni will see the party deliberate on its plans to contest the 2026 elections independently while remaining in the tripartite alliance — a partnership with the ANC and labour federation Cosatu. It will also use the conference to formulate its manifesto for the vote.
The conference, running from Wednesday until Saturday, is an important milestone for the SACP, which is charting a new course aimed at asserting its autonomy after years of frustration with the ANC.
Its discussion documents argue that this relationship has, in the long term, hurt the SACP and diminished its image with the public.
The discussions come amid escalating tensions over the ANC’s decision to enter a government of national unity (GNU) with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus, with the SACP arguing that it was sidelined in the decision-making process.
The SACP favoured creating a coalition that included the Economic Freedom Fighters given its historical and ideological opposition to the DA.
The SACP’s dissatisfaction with the ANC — which began in the mid-1990s — has been escalating for more than a decade, with tensions reaching a boiling point in the months since the unity government was formed.
The party has voiced concerns about corruption, growing inequality and what it views as the ANC’s failure to champion working-class interests and that its views in the alliance are often ignored.
SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila has been outspoken in his criticism, describing the GNU as a “recolonisation” of South Africa.
“The DA represents apartheid beneficiaries and a continuation of colonialism. We will not accept any form of recolonisation,” Mapaila told the Mail & Guardian, adding that the ANC should have prioritised its historical commitment to economic transformation and social justice, “than go to bed with the enemy”.
Despite these grievances, the SACP insists it will remain in the alliance, albeit in a redefined capacity.
The party’s decision to contest elections has already been communicated to the ANC, with plans for further bilateral discussions in January 2025 to address the implications.
It has threatened to do so before, but it appears that this time around the SACP will follow through.
The party plans to campaign on a left-leaning platform centred on policies such as a basic income grant, an expanded public employment programmes and resistance to austerity measures.
Mapaila said the party’s focus will be on strengthening its identity as a political movement dedicated to the working class.
“We have campaigned for these things to be addressed for 28 years. Now is the time for new strategies and tactics,” he said.
Although the party has struggled to turn its 300 000 membership into votes, it was ready to be tested by the masses as it did in the 2017 Metsimaholo council by-elections, where it secured three proportional representation seats when it campaigned alone, Mapaila added.
The decision to contest elections independently has raised questions about the future of the tripartite alliance. Although the SACP maintains that it will remain part of the coalition, its independent ambitions are likely to alter the alliance’s relationship.
ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula said while the situation between the two parties was complex, the ANC respected the SACP’s decision.
“This is their decision to make. We have agreed to engage continuously on how it affects the alliance,” he said.
On Monday, Mbalula said the ANC would not remove ministers from the SACP from the cabinet despite its decision to contest the 2026 elections alone.
The SACP’s participation in the alliance includes two ministerial positions in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet. Blade Nzimande serves as minister of higher education, science and innovation, while Gwede Mantashe is the minerals and petroleum resources minister.
Mapaila said any decision about future cabinet posts would probably be made after the 2026 elections, during the party’s ordinary conference in 2027.
The SACP’s policy conference comes at a time of significant economic and social problems for South Africa. Unemployment remains high, with the expanded definition that includes discouraged job seekers exceeding 40%. Inequality continues to widen, and the cost-of-living crisis has deepened poverty among the country’s most vulnerable populations.
Mapaila said the party would use the conditions of the working class to offer them opportunities that favour them.
For the SACP, this week’s conference represents a defining moment. The resolutions adopted will not only determine its strategy for the 2026 elections but will also shape its future in the tripartite alliance.
The party will hold a special policy conference to decide on how to reconfigure its longstanding alliance with the ANC
