ANC
Amidst tensions in the tripartite alliance, the SACP plans to outline its electoral ambitions as the ANC enforces a ban on dual membership, signalling a pivotal moment in South African politics.
The ongoing relationship between the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) has taken a significant turn following a recent decision by the ANC's National General Council (NGC).
The NGC, which convened this week, resolved to bar its members from holding dual membership with the SACP, a move that emerges as the latter plans to contest upcoming local government elections independently.
In response to the ANC's decision, SACP Deputy General Secretary Madala Masuku expressed respect for the ruling, stating that the party acknowledges the complexities surrounding their independent election campaign.
“We welcome the decision to instruct its leadership to expedite the meeting between the alliance to discuss challenges thrown by our decision to contest elections. We are going to sit down and explain to them what is driving the SACP,” Masuku said.
The backdrop to this decision was an earlier request from the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC) for SACP members to “recuse” themselves from determining the ANC's election strategies. President Cyril Ramaphosa spotlighted this issue during his closing remarks at the NGC, noting that while there remains a willingness within the ANC to engage with SACP leadership regarding their electoral independence, the potential risks of sharing sensitive election strategies with the SACP have led to this definitive course of action.
“The ANC as the leader of the alliance and the National Democratic Revolution should not give up on its historic responsibility and effort to unite the alliance, including continuing to engage with the SACP,” Ramaphosa articulated, reinforcing the notion that the party seeks a collaborative approach towards the elections as it has done historically.
Over the years, both the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the SACP have played pivotal roles within the tripartite alliance that supports the ANC's election mechanisms. The ongoing discussions regarding election strategies highlight an essential leadership dynamic that continues to evolve as the political landscape becomes more complex.
