Alliance Tensions Rise as Mbalula Warns SACP Election Move Could Deepen Divisions
Tasha Siziba
A dramatic shift in Alliance politics dominated proceedings on Day Two of the 16th ANC Greater Johannesburg Regional Conference, where ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula issued a stern warning about the South African Communist Party’s (SACP) decision to contest elections independently.
Addressing delegates, Mbalula revealed that the ANC has formally cautioned the SACP that its resolution poses a serious threat to the unity and coherence of the Tripartite Alliance.
“We informed the SACP that this resolution is not good for the Alliance,” Mbalula said, emphasising that the matter is too significant to be confined to bilateral discussions. “As the ANC, we stated that this decision can’t lie only between us and the SACP. We must involve other components such as COSATU and SANCO.”
Mbalula warned that the SACP’s move introduces political uncertainty for workers and communities who have traditionally identified with a united Alliance.
“We must now ask the workers who to vote for. This resolution divides the Alliance,” he cautioned.
While engagements between the ANC and the SACP have been ongoing, Mbalula confirmed that the issue has reached a point where the movement must confront it at the highest political platform, the upcoming National General Council (NGC) on Monday.
“We are going to the NGC to deliberate on this issue,” he said. “The issue we will grapple with is ideological and concerns the matter of dual membership.”
The longstanding practice of dual membership, where individuals serve both the ANC and the SACP, has been central to the Alliance’s strategy and shared identity for decades.
However, the SACP’s intention to appear independently on the ballot raises profound questions about political alignment, organisational discipline, and the future direction of progressive politics in South Africa.
Mbalula’s remarks cast a dramatic tone over the Johannesburg conference, underscoring the gravity of the discussions that await the ANC.
Delegates, already engaged in debates about renewal and governance, were reminded that issues of national strategy and Alliance cohesion have now taken centre stage.
As the ANC prepares for the NGC, the organisation faces one of its most consequential internal debates in recent years.
The decisions made there may determine not only the future of the ANC–SACP relationship but also the shape and survival of the Alliance itself.