By Doreen Mokgolo
- SACP leader Solly Mapaila says they will contest the 2026 local elections after years of being ignored by the ANC.
- The party remains in alliance with the ANC but wants changes in how they work together.
A special Congress of The South African Communist Party (SACP) has endorsed the party’s latest decision to contest elections and square off against fellow alliance ANC candidates in the forthcoming 2026 municipal polls
However, the party says it’s not leaving its ANC alliance.
SACP General Secretary Solly Mapaila told delegates: “The decision to contest the elections has been taken by the Congress and we are ready to contest.”
Speaking in Boksburg on Thursday, Mapaila said the ANC has ignored their calls to change how the alliance works.
“Deep down in my heart I am bleeding because the weaknesses of leadership have led to this situation, arrogance of political power, factionalism and corruption. There are instances when deserving SACP leaders are overlooked during deployment mainly due to their affiliation,” says Mapaila.
He says the SACP has lost respect because people see them as weak. The ANC only agreed to meet them two weeks ago after years of requests.
The SACP has been asking for changes in the alliance for over 20 years.
“We started this process at the 2002 congress in Rustenburg when the communist league made a representation that the party must contest the elections.
“As such in 2017 we took a resolution to contest the local elections in the Free State and some of the cadres decided to stand as independent candidates who were then expelled from the communist party,” says Mapaila.
In 2019, then ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule warned the SACP about serious consequences if they contested elections alone.
The SACP didn’t contest the May national elections because of threats to the movement and the formation of the Moonshot Pact opposition group.
“Since last year April, we only had a bilateral meeting with the ANC two weeks ago where we told them the truth by disclosing the decision by the augmented central committee.”
Pictured above: General Secretary of the SACP Solly Mapaila.
Source: Doreen Mokgolo
