By Simon Nare
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has warned his own party not to be arrogant towards the SA Communist Party (SACP) following its decision to independently contest the 2026 Local Government Elections, saying it should rather persuade its allies to reconsider.
Mbalula told delegates at the 9th National Congress of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA), Birchwood Conference Centre, Ekurhuleni, that negotiations with the SACP were ongoing following a recent reconfiguration meeting between the two allies.
He said hard questions needed to be answered if the SACP was to contest the elections and whether this would strengthen or weaken the alliance.
“The ANC can’t be arrogant to the party and say no contest. You know there are some people who are very emotional and say they can contest on their own we will see. It is not easy out there. It is an uphill out there. People who don’t do door-to-door, you will hear them saying leave them,” he said.
“That very person doesn’t even do door-to-door. It is hard out there. It’s an uphill. Getting that vote is not easy so we must persuade each other. We must consult each other and advise each other and map the way forward.”
Mbalula said the 2024 “moment” would be characterised as a strategic setback for the National Development Revolution (NDR).
He did not define the moment but said the alliance of four independent organisations – the ANC, SACP, Cosatu and SA National Civic Organisation (SANCO)– like in any democratic set-up, had its own dynamics.
He added that even though the allies shared a common perspective on the NDR which united them, there would always be differences.
However, they were committed to unity and cohesion.
The allies were deliberating on how to strengthen the alliance, with discussions centering around its reconfiguration and the political programmes.
Mbalula reminded the congress that the SACP was the vanguard of the working class, while the ANC was the umbrella liberation movement which led to the NDR.
Mbalula said Cosatu was the platform for organising workers, and therefore, it was contested terrain for ANC and SACP members.
But, he said, SACP members were all members of the ANC and there were distinct programmes being pushed by the two allies along side each other for years.
“What binds us together is the programme of the NDR. Now the time has arrived where the SACP says we are the political vanguard and at the same time says we have accepted to participate in the democratic election process through the ANC. But we have arrived at a point where we think we can stand on our own. Now the fundamental question that must be answered by revolutionaries in South Africa is to what extent will have an impact on our alliance,” he said.
He added that the implications of the SACP contesting the elections needed to be interrogated, and whether this would strengthen or weaken the alliance, without even debating the reconfiguration of the alliance.
Mbalula said reconfiguration could mean many things, but in essence there should be an acceptance of working together in the evolution of the alliance.
“Now if we reach an agreement on reconfiguration like some comrades are saying there is an agreement, how do we then see that reconfiguration unfolding in the context of a possibility of the party, as political party, standing on its own.”
“These are hard questions that must be answered, not emotionally. We had very good discussions with the party. We are going into a discussion this coming weekend at the national executive committee,” he said.
Mbalula said the SACP has also agreed that the matter of reconfiguration should be referred to the ANC NEC.
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