Nehawu backs SACP's independent 2026 campaign amid ANC tensions

As the ANC moves to exclude the SACP from its election strategy meetings, Nehawu has firmly pledged its support for the SACP's independent campaign in the upcoming 2026 local government elections.

At its central executive committee (CEC) meeting on Thursday, Nehawu resolved to initiate a substantial election campaign to bolster the SACP's efforts.

The NGC, convened this week, addressed the tensions within the Tripartite Alliance, suggesting that the SACP's resolution to contest the elections independently poses a threat to the unity and cohesion of the alliance.

The political report presented highlighted the potential pitfalls of dual party membership amidst the realities of electoral politics.

In his closing address, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa said the ANC would not give up on its historic responsibility and effort to unite the alliance and engage with the SACP to ensure that they approached the elections on a common platform.

“However, as we continue to persuade each other and the important word we should underline is that we continue to ‘persuade’ each other, we will need to request SACP members who have been participating in our joint elections structures to recuse themselves,” he said to applause from the delegates.

“I can see you are enjoying that one, but all we are saying is that, as we continue to engage particularly on our strategies and tactics for running the elections, they should recuse themselves,” said Ramaphosa.

“And may I add that a number of them themselves feel that they will be conflicted and they are recusing themselves until we resolve this problem and I have confidence that we will solve it.”

Ramaphosa added that the NGC has raised deep concern about the negative impact of the current state of the alliance on the ability of the progressive forces to execute a revolutionary agenda to defend and advance the National Democratic Revolution (NDR).

“Accordingly, this NGC has supported NEC’s assessment that the SACP’s resolution to have SACP candidates being fielded in the 2026 local government elections will not only have tactical implications but also strategic implications for the alliance as a whole and the prosecution of the NDR.

“It has been agreed that the alliance leadership must meet urgently to develop a common approach to the reconfiguration and renewal of the alliance in a manner that safeguards unity and cohesion and avoids further confusion, division and conflict among the rank and file on the ground.”

In a striking rebuttal, Nehawu general secretary Zola Sapetha said the ANC NGC, as a midterm platform, was tasked with reviewing progress in implementing the resolutions and its renewal programme of ensuring that the ANC remains the revolutionary movement of the people.

“However, the renewal programme leaves much to be desired, as once again, the organisation has proven that it has lost its moral and ethical compass and this is evident with scandals of corruption, factionalism, and organisational paralysis and how the organisation has continuously failed to pay our members and workers their salaries, provident fund and medical aid for months,” Sapetha said.

He took a swipe at the ANC for continuously failing to pay workers’ salaries and the heckling of SACP first deputy general secretary Madala Masuku when he delivered a message of support at the NGC.

Sapetha said the CEC reaffirmed the correctness of the SACP resolution to contest elections independently in the 2026 local government elections and beyond.

“This resolution is an integral part of the party’s strategic perspective, which include the tasks of building a powerful socialist movement of the workers and poor and building a left popular front, amongst others.

“In this regard, the CEC directed the union to go ahead in preparing itself to embark on a massive elections campaign in the 2026 local government elections in support of the SACP, as a vanguard of the working class.”

Nehawu will develop a comprehensive program of action to keep members abreast on the developments regarding the SACP contesting in 2026 local government elections, said Sapetha.

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