The South African Communist Party (SACP), which recently announced that it would be participating in the upcoming 2026 Local Government Elections independently, maintains that it is not an opposition to the African National Congress (ANC), but ‘an ally.’

The statement was made as the party of Chris Hani heads into its all important elective conference this week which will start on December 11 and end of December 14.

Elaborating, SACP general secretary, Solly Mapaila, said that the organisation which has always sided with the ANC, has decided to contest the upcoming local government elections, independently.

Mapaila said the organisation will finalise the specifics of its independent campaign plan at the much anticipated conference.

Speaking with IOL News, SACP central committee member and national spokesperson Dr. Alex Mashilo emphasised that the organisation has no intention to break away from the alliance, which includes the ANC and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu).

“The SACP has no resolution to break away from the Alliance. Its resolution is to exercise its independence more assertively,” said Mashilo.

He said the alliance, which is made of independent organisations, should strengthen the dependence of its partners, instead of ‘weakening it.’

Mashilo reiterated that the SACP is not the opposition with the ANC, but an ally.

“The upcoming conference will mostly focus on policy review,” he told IOL News.

Mashilo admitted that the SACP is facing several internal hardships, which includes growing its membership.

Mashilo said the majority of its regional members are not working.

“This is a reflection of the broader unemployment problem currently affecting over 12 million active and discouraged work seekers,” he said.

He said to address this problem, the upcoming conference will focus on deepening its critique of the South African economic policy trajectory, which has failed to create jobs and curb unemployment rate at a meaningful scale.

Mashilo said another major challenge for the SACP is political education.

He said to ensure that the growth in its membership is accompanied by growth in the quality of each new member in alignment with the philosophy of Marxism-Leninism, that the party is anchored into.

“This is important for advancing the working-class struggle for freedom from capitalist exploitation,” Mashilo said.

Mashilo pointed out that the SACP will elect new leadership at its 16th national congress, in July 2027.

“While it has the power to consider an overwhelmingly supported motion to consider electing new leadership, there is no motion to that effect at this stage,” Mashilo told IOL News.

Mapaila, has expressed huge disappointment for several times now, with the ANC’s coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Government of National Unity (GNU).

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SACP Conference | 'We not in opposition of ANC', party insists as it heads into all important elective conference