Mbalula: SACP independent election bid is 'water under the bridge'

African National Congress (ANC) Secretary General Fikile Mbalula said that the party considers the South African Communist Party (SACP) decision to independently contest local government elections as “water under the bridge”. 

He said that the focus now for the ANC is the implication of this decision for the upcoming campaign, and what will happen after the election. 

The ANC’s National Executive Committee on Friday convened a special meeting to discuss the practicalities of the SACP’s decision, from which Mbalula sais there is no going back, to convince it to contest elections under the ANC banner as it always has. 

Fikile Mbalula said that despite attempts to reason with the SACP, the ANC failed to convince it otherwise.

He said that the SACP has already been implementing its decision by contesting recent by-elections. 

Although the ANC permits dual membership, Mbalula said that the party has to consider the implications of candidates standing in opposition to the ANC. 

"You need to deal with the practical thing of you can’t have the same people serving the same organisation."

Despite the conundrum the alliance finds itself in, Mbalula said that the partnership remains intact. 

"There is no decision to break the alliance. We don’t have that mandate."

Mbalula said that Friday’s meeting is intended to give direction to ANC branches on how the two parties will relate to each other during the election campaign.