SACP to Contest 2026 Elections Even if Expelled From Tripartite Alliance, SA Split by the Decision
- The South African Communist Party (SACP) reiterated that it will contest the 2026 Local Government Elections
- Thabo Mbeki warned that there could be clashes between the SACP and the African National Congress (ANC)
- South Africans shared their thoughts on the SACP's decision, as well as the possibility that it could be expelled
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Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG – The South African Communist Party (SACP) is not backing down from its plans to contest the 2026 Local Government Elections.
The SACP, which is a member of the tripartite alliance along with the African National Congress (ANC) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), plans to contest the elections as an independent party.
General Secretary, Solly Mapaila, reiterated the SACP’s plans, even if it means they could be expelled from the alliance. The SACP previously stated that it was freeing itself from the abuse with this decision.
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What did Mapaila say?
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, 31 August 2025, Mapaila maintained that its decision was not an attack on the ANC, saying they were committed to the alliance.
“Now, if the ANC takes its own decision to expel our members, that is their own baby. It has been done before, and we rebuilt the communist.
“So, we can't tell them what to do, but we are committed to the alliance, the dual membership and responsible leadership,” he said.
Mapaila’s comments come after Thabo Mbeki weighed in on the SACP’s decision.
What did Mbeki say about the SACP?
Speaking at a political class organised by the KwaZulu-Natal provincial task team, which focused on the SACP’s decision, the former president warned that there could be a clash between the alliance partners.
While he didn’t shoot down its plans to contest the elections, he said the SACP should avoid challenging the ANC as a proponent of the national democratic revolution (NDR).
He added that the SACP should contest the elections as socialists, to avoid the confrontation with the ANC, which was positioning itself as the leader of the NDR.
"Will it campaign as a party of socialists? They are two very different positions. If [the SACP] contests as a party of the national democratic revolution, it is then directly challenging the ANC,” he stated.
He added that if the alliance partners went toe-to-toe against each other, ANC campaigners would have to tell voters not to vote for the SACP.
Mapaila dismissed these views, saying that the SACP had the right to contest the elections, and it intended to exercise this right.
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How did South Africans react?
The news drew a mixed bag of reactions from social media users as they debated how the SACP could contest the elections and remain a member of the alliance.
Mammolelo Tshehla stated:
“You can't compete with the ANC during the elections and claim to be in alliance. Once you compete for power against the ANC, then there is no alliance. Divorce papers must be served.”
Jabu Dube asked:
“So, the SACP wants to contest against the ANC, but remain as part of the ANC?”
Hlozi Nkisi suggested:
“They must try that. Who knows, maybe we will vote for them.”
Titus Podile asked:
“But how do u allow people who are your opponents to be your members?”
Herman Haarman stated:
“Let them recall their members from the government, then maybe we can talk.”
Peter Fortune added:
“Maybe it’s another option after the disappointment with the current ANC government.”
Molefi Wa Malefane questioned:
“Isn’t this a conflict of interest? Anyway, from where I am standing, it seems as if the communists are hungry. Only Blade Nzimande has been eating, and they can see that the train is coming to a stop. There’s not enough time left to eat.”
Sim Blackanese stated:
“Let it burn. I go with Mapaila, it's about time for the true communists to wake up and smell the coffee.”
SACP criticises Democratic Alliance's inclusion in government
Briefly News reported in December 2024 that the SACP threw shade at the Democratic Alliance.
The tripartite alliance member claimed that the DA was bad for the Government of National Unity.
South Africans dismissed the SACP's claims, arguing that they were still living in the past.
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Source: Briefly News
