ANC says it can’t allow SACP members to sit in on election meetings as both parties to contest 2026 polls

JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) said it cannot allow members from the South African Communist Party (SACP) to sit in on its election meetings, as both organisations will be competing against each other.

In 2024, the SACP resolved to contest the upcoming local government elections alone and no longer under the ANC banner.

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Following that decision, the ANC and SACP announced that they would not be asking their members to give up their dual memberships as the alliance was still intact.

However, at a recent election strategy session in Mpumalanga, ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane allegedly kicked out SACP members.

Speaking at an ANC event in Kliptown, Soweto on Thursday, Mokonyane said the party respected the decision of the SACP to contest alone.

"We can’t allow ourselves to be Zuma-fied, where you sit with people who are going to contest and target the same constituency as you, planning with you on how to make sure there is higher voter turnout, your candidate is the best candidate and most importantly, we win the coming elections. There is nothing untoward and we will continue doing it."