ANC NGC resolves to bar SACP representatives from its election strategy meetings

The ANC national general council has fired a salvo against the SACP for its decision to contest elections independently of the tripartite alliance, barring it from deploying its members to the ANC’S election machinery.

This was announced by party president Cyril Ramaphosa who said while his party still had an appetite to continue persuading the SACP against its decision, the ANC national general council (NGC) felt it would be a risk to share its election strategies with them.

This as the ANC has resolved to reject the dual membership held by SACP members.

The SACP is an integral part of the tripartite alliance which includes the ANC and Cosatu and has always campaigned under the banner of the ANC. However, after the formation of the government of national unity (GNU) that included the DA but left out the EFF and MK Party, the SACP under Solly Mapaila decided that the ANC national executive committee (NEC) had gone too far

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula told the NGC during his mid-term report that the party’s national executive committee (NEC) had essentially given the SACP an ultimatum to either backtrack on its decision to contest elections on its own or have its members lose their ANC membership.

Ramaphosa, closing the four-day NGC, said they had resolved to bar SACP representatives from being part of the ANC’s election strategy meetings.

Over the years, both Cosatu and the SACP, as part of the tripartite alliance, played a significant role in the ANC’s election machinery including classified meetings discussing tactics.

SACP and Cosatu representatives also form part of the door-to-door visits campaigning for the ANC.

According to Ramaphosa, the ANC NGC has resolved that it would pose a risk for the ANC to have the SACP be privy to sensitive election information if it will be contesting elections on its own.

Ramaphosa said during the period that the ANC and the SACP were in discussions about the implications of its decision, the party decided that it cannot allow their representatives to be part of its election machinery.

“The ANC as the leader of the alliance and the NDR (national democratic revolution) should not give up on its historic responsibility and effort to unite the alliance including continuing to engage with the SACP to ensure that we approach the elections in a way that we’ve always done in the past as a common platform,” said Ramaphosa.

“However, as we continue to persuade each other, and the important phrase that we should underline is ‘as we continue to engage persuade each other’, we will need to request SACP members who’ve been participating in our joint elections structures to recuse themselves.”

The NGC delegates responded with loud applause in response to Ramaphosa’s announcement.

“I can see you are enjoying that one, but all we are saying is that, as we continue to engage particularly on our strategies and tactics for running the elections, they should recuse themselves,” said Ramaphosa.

“And may I add that a number of them themselves feel that they will be conflicted and they are recusing themselves until we resolve this problem and I have confidence that we will solve it.”

Ramaphosa said the NGC was concerned about the SACP’s stance to go it alone.

“This NGC has raised deep concern about the negative impact of the current state of the alliance on the ability of the progressive forces to execute a revolution agenda to defend and advance the NDR,” he said.

“Accordingly, this NGC has supported NEC’s assessment that the SACP’s resolution to have SACP candidates being fielded in the 2026 local government election will not only have tactical implications but also strategic implications for the alliance as a whole and the prosecution of the NDR.

“It has been agreed that the alliance leadership must meet urgently to develop a common approach to the reconfiguration and renewal of the alliance in a manner that safeguards unity and cohesion and avoids further confusion, division and conflict among the rank and file on the ground.”

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