ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula stated that the tripartite alliance will endure challenges and continue working with the South African Communist Party even after elections. He made these remarks at the South African Municipal Workers Union national congress in Mbombela, Mpumalanga. This follows the SACP's decision to contest upcoming local government elections independently.
African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula addressed the national congress of the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, on March 17, 2026. He asserted that the tripartite alliance—comprising the ANC, the South African Communist Party (SACP), and the Congress of South African Trade Unions—would not perish despite facing challenges. Mbalula emphasised the ongoing collaboration with the SACP, even post-elections, following the party's announcement to contest the upcoming local government elections independently. > “To us, participation of communists in the ANC has never been about numbers. That’s why when we go to a by-election, Communist Party gets these lower numbers. ANC win a by-election, we are not shocked, because the Communist Party has never been a mass movement to bring big numbers. It brought ideology to the African National Congress and influenced it…It can only be weakened, but it’s never going to die.” He referenced the 2024 electoral outcomes as a strategic setback for the national democratic revolution, with the ANC receiving 40% of the vote—the lowest in its democratic history. Mbalula noted that the SACP's role has historically been ideological rather than numerical within the ANC.
