Mapaila says SACP to contest 2026 elections as standalone party, Ramaphosa warns against the move
SACP general-secretary Solly Mapaila said the move was not aimed at weakening the ANC, but intended to reignite the tripartite alliance.
South African Communist Party General Secretary Solly Mapaila. Picture: X / @SACP1921
The South African Communists Party (SACP) will be on the ballot for the 2026 local government elections as a separate entity.
SACP general-secretary Solly Mapaila made the seismic announcement at the 30th annual commemoration of Joe Slovo on 6 January.
President Cyril Ramaphosa was in attendance to hear this public shift in policy, issuing a stern warning about “splinter” organisations weakening the African National Congress (ANC).
SACP as a separate party
Should the SACP not heed the ANC president’s warning and reconsider their decision, it will be the first time the communist party will appear on an electoral ballot in the new South Africa.
Mapaila said the plight of the poor was worsening as he raged against poverty, unemployment, crime and public sector corruption — which he blamed on the capitalist system.
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He described the situation as a national crisis that would be resolved by taking the same approach which had created the issues he described.
“We are dealing with the question of working-class representation. This question relates to the state of economy, the state of our people, as well as the crisis the working class find itself in,” said Mapaila on Monday.
“It is in this regard that the communist party has decided to participate in the coming local government elections in 2026,” he declared.
Tripartite Alliance
The Tripartite Alliance, featuring the ANC, SACP and Cosatu, has been the bedrock of the ANC’s electoral dominance from which the national democratic revolution (NDR) is built.
Mapaila said the decision is not aimed at weakening the ANC, but strengthening the alliance by “confronting capital” and no longer being observers in the democratic political process.
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He stated that the SACP would not become enemies of the ANC, and that the symbiotic relationship between the parties would remain.
“The dual membership continues, we are not ending the alliance, what we are simply saying is that the political landscape necessitates that in order to defend the NDR… the communist party has to strengthen our allies through standing on our own,” said Mapaila.
Ramaphosa unhappy
Ramaphosa was met with grumbles and light jeers as he warned against the ideological partners no longer standing united.
He described the ANC and SACP as “twins” that complimented each other, adding that a separation would weaken the NDR.
Ramaphosa said that former allies who contested elections against the ANC were “splinters” who only served to weaken the liberation movement, while also threatening other consequences.
“If we walk separately, then we must accept that state power is going to be defused and is no longer going to reside in the hands of the mass democratic movement of the alliance.
“That is the choice we have to make,” Ramaphosa said.
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