Ramaphosa hopes SACP will reconsider decision to contest local govt elections solely

Tensions between the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP), once again, took centre stage as the ANC marks 114 years of its existence.

With the SACP firm on contesting the upcoming municipal elections independently, the ANC still wants the party to reconsider its decision.

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa made these remarks on the sidelines of a wreath-laying ceremony for the late freedom fighter Moses Kotane at Pella village, in the North West, on Thursday.

Kotane served as the General Secretary of the SACP and as the ANC’s Treasurer General before his passing in 1978.

The SACP, ANC and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) have been part of what is known as the Tripartite Alliance for decades.

This arrangement has seen the SACP contesting elections and campaigning under the ANC banner over the years.

But when the ANC decided to form a national coalition including the DA and Freedom Front Plus, the SACP threatened to contest elections independently.

As Ramaphosa laid a wreath at the resting place of the late ANC and SACP leader, he said one of Kotane’s hopes would have been to see the two partie.s remain united.

"At this moment, Moses Kotane’s message would have been 'keep the alliance alive, united and strong'. He would have said 'renew the alliance'," said Ramaphosa.

The president said he hoped the SACP would reconsider its decision.