SA Communist Party (SACP) general-secretary Solly Mapaila has bluntly told ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa that they will contest the 2026 local government elections alone and asked for the decision not be viewed as an effort to weaken the ANC deeper.
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
SA Communist Party (SACP) general-secretary Solly Mapaila has bluntly told ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa that they will contest the 2026 local government elections alone and asked for the decision not be viewed as an effort to weaken the ANC deeper.
Mapaila was addressing the 30th commemoration of the passing of former SACP leader Joe Slovo at the Avalon Cemetery in Soweto on Monday.
This is despite Ramaphosa’s plea to the SACP not to go to the elections alone as this will weaken the ANC even further.
Ramaphosa warned that this would divide and lower the ANC's support base. He referenced the harm caused to the party by breakaway factions over time.
“When you look at the various parties that have splintered from the ANC, you begin to understand that through that splintering process, from the late 50s until 2000,” he said.
Ramaphosa stressed that by this move, they would kiss State power goodbye.
However, Mapaila said there was no turning back on their decision to go it alone in the elections.
He said this move was to represent the working class.
"That is why we are contesting the 2026 elections. We are not weakening the ANC or the alliance, but we are strengthening the alliance.
"We are not the ANC's enemy, and the dual membership continues because the political landscape dictates that we confront capital and advance the NDR as the SACP," Mapaila clarified.
The main reason for the SACP's decision is that they are not happy with the involvement of the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the government of national unity (GNU).
The SACP said they would not work with neo-liberals who were not putting the interest of the citizens - especially the black community - at heart.
According to the communist party, this move was a betrayal to the people who fought for democracy.
The ANC failed to win the May 29, 2024 national and provincial elections for the first time since democracy in 1994.
They suffered a devastating blow which led to their electoral support declining to 40%. This was down from 57% in 2019.
Meanwhile, the ANC is holding its January 8 celebrations at the Mandela Park stadium in Khayelitsha this weekend.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics
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