SACP clarifies 2026 election bid, reaffirms ANC alliance

SACP

Cape Town – South African Communist Party (SACP) deputy chairperson Thulas Nxesi says the decision to contest the 2026 local government elections as a standalone party is a collective resolution, not solely driven by general secretary Solly Mapaila.

SACP recently announced its decision to contest the 2026 Local Government Elections independently, breaking from its long-standing alliance with the ANC.

According to SABC, this is not the party’s first independent electoral effort, having previously fielded candidates in the Metsimaholo Local Municipality in the Free State.

“We want to contest elections to win them and drive a radical social transformation agenda that can serve the interest of the majority of our people in this country and not the interest of the minority few, white racists and capitalists,”  IOL quoted him as saying.

Speaking at the ANC’s 113th birthday celebrations on Saturday, Nxesi reaffirmed the party’s allegiance to the ANC and the tripartite alliance while acknowledging ongoing challenges, such as poor consultation and delayed alliance reconfiguration.

Nxesi called for unity and mutual respect among alliance members, urging leaders to avoid populist rhetoric and personal attacks.

“The SACP’s decision is not a Mapaila decision but a congress decision. So, our ally is the ANC and not the Democratic Alliance (DA),” Nxesi said, according to The Citizen.

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