SACP could hand power to the rightwing - ANC

Decision to contest elections could weaken the left

- By Setumo Stone

The ANC has issued a dire warning to its alliance partner, the SACP, cautioning that the latter's decision to contest the 2026 local government elections independently could embolden right-wing forces and fracture the progressive movement.

In a detailed and impassioned document, the ANC laid bare its fears that the SACP's move could lead to a weakened left, a fragmented working class, and a political landscape ripe for exploitation by conservative forces.

This is contained in ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula's letter on Friday to ANC structures and members.

"The resolution presents challenges that can indeed be referred to as uncharted waters," he wrote, warning that the SACP's decision could have "far-reaching implications about the strategy and tactics of the national democratic revolution (NDR)."

At the heart of the ANC's concerns is the fear that the SACP's independent electoral contestation will divide the left and create a vacuum that right-wing forces will exploit.