ANC-SACP rift exposed: Madala Masuku heckled by delegates at National General Council over election plans

The bad blood between alliance partners, the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) came to a head on Monday afternoon when the SACP’s Deputy General Secretary, Madala Masuku, was repeatedly jeered by ANC members while giving a speech at the ANC’s 5th National General Council (NGC).

There has been friction between the partners since the SACP announced it will contest elections alone and no longer under the ANC banner.

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The NGC is currently underway at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg.

It acts as a midterm review of the ANC’s progress to implement resolutions adopted at its 55th Elective Conference in 2022.

One of the resolutions adopted at the ANC’s 55th Elective Conference was the reconfiguration of the alliance.

However, that has not come to fruition, and as a result, the South African Communist Party took a decision last year to contest elections alone.

When the SACP’s Deputy General Secretary, Madala Masuku, was delivering his party’s message of support, he was repeatedly heckled by delegates, with ANC Chairperson Gwede Mantashe forced to intervene.

“Comrades, there must be order; listen to what Comrade Masuku is saying. You are in the NGC; this ‘wum wum wum’ thing you are doing is not acceptable.”

Masuku eventually addressed the delegates on the decision of the SACP to contest the elections alone.

“The decision to contest elections is not to contest the ANC. The decision to contest elections is contestation of elections, and this matter is a very critical matter because it has to do with the existential being of the party (SACP) because if the party cannot introduce socialism as a path, its existence will mean nothing.”

Masuku says the SACP still remains committed to the alliance.