ANC affirms alliance stability despite SACP's independent election bid

The African National Congress (ANC) has reiterated that the South African Communist Party (SACP)'s decision to contest elections independently does not signal the end of their alliance.

The tripartite alliance, which includes the ANC, SACP, and COSATU, has been a decades-long partnership, with the SACP traditionally contesting elections under the ANC banner.

However, following the ANC’s formation of a government of national unity that included the DA, the SACP announced its intention to withdraw.

Speaking on the sidelines of the party’s birthday celebrations in the Northwest on Thursday, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized that this does not mark the end of the road.

The SACP has only contested elections outside the ANC once, during a 2017 by-election at the Metsimaholo local municipality in the Free State.

It contested all 21 wards but failed to win any, though it did secure three proportional representation seats on the municipal council.

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

Fast forward to 2021, the party changed its mind and contested those local government elections under the ANC banner once again.

Ramaphosa said the party accepts the SACP’s decision to run independently in the upcoming municipal elections but remains unhappy with it.

"They have taken that decision as an organisation and in their organisation. We have accepted but we don’t agree with it. It is the decision of the SACP," said Ramaphosa.

He added that the tripartite alliance must stay alive regardless.