A Big Split in South Africa’s Political Alliance?

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has decided to run in the 2026 local elections on its own. This move is a big test for the African National Congress (ANC), which leads their political group, the Tripartite Alliance.

Why Did the SACP Make This Choice?

The SACP’s decision raises several important questions:

• Does the SACP have enough support to win votes by itself?
• Can it still be part of the Alliance while running against the ANC?
• What happens to SACP members who currently work in ANC-led governments?
• Is this a practice run for the 2029 national election?
• Does this mean the SACP has lost faith in the ANC or President Cyril Ramaphosa?

The Real Focus: The ANC’s Actions

While the SACP’s move is surprising, the bigger issue is how the ANC has treated its Alliance partner. For years, the SACP has felt overlooked. The key question is: What has the ANC done about this?

More pressing questions include:

• After the SACP’s decision, did the ANC try to fix things privately, or did it show disrespect because the SACP seems smaller?
• After the 2024 election left no clear winner, did President Ramaphosa and the ANC treat the SACP with dignity, or did they focus more on talking to the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA)?

The ANC’s Coalition Choices After 2024

After the 2024 election, the ANC had several options to form a government. They chose a path that left the SACP feeling pushed aside.

1. A Grand Alliance with the DA?
This was rejected by the SACP and Cosatu (the other Alliance partner).

2. Team Up with the New MKP Party?
The ANC could have joined the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), which got 15% of the vote. Together, they would have passed the 50% mark. But this was hard because of old political fights and insults from some ANC members towards former President Jacob Zuma, who leads MKP.

3. A Left-Wing Coalition?
The ANC could have gathered leftist parties like the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), MKP, PAC, and the SACP. The EFF was open to this, as long as the DA wasn’t included. The ANC didn’t take this chance.

4. A Government of National Unity (GNU) with the Top Parties?
A GNU with the ANC, DA, MKP, and EFF was possible. Even if the EFF refused to join with the DA, a GNU with just the ANC, MKP, and EFF could have worked. The ANC wasn’t interested.

5. The Wide Multiparty Coalition
Instead, the ANC invited almost every party with a seat in Parliament—even tiny ones—into a broad coalition. This multiparty coalition is what happened.

When the ANC chose the fifth option, the SACP felt left out and disrespected. This feeling led to their December 2024 decision to contest the 2026 elections alone.

Could This Have Been Avoided?

Yes. The split likely could have been prevented if the ANC had shown smarter leadership and more respect for its Alliance partners.

Even after the SACP decided to go it alone, the ANC could have tried to reconcile. Instead, some ANC leaders made public comments that were careless and hostile. They signaled that they didn’t care about the SACP’s decision and might exclude them from election planning.

While the ANC has the right to exclude a party acting as an opposition, visionary leaders would have handled such talks privately out of respect.

What Happens Now? Key Questions

The public fight between the two parties leads to more questions:

• Is the ANC’s aggressive talk a sign of desperation?
• Does the ANC think the relationship with the SACP is beyond repair?
• The SACP says leaving the 2026 election does not mean leaving the Alliance completely. If they support the ANC again in 2029, can they ever trust each other again? Will ANC leaders take back their harsh statements?

Conclusion: A Need for Smarter Politics

The ANC and the SACP need each other more than ever. The ANC can no longer count on winning every election. There are more parties now, and fewer people are voting. In this new and tough political landscape, both sides need to be smarter, more respectful, and better at working together—or they risk weakening the entire movement they built.