Mbeki calls on SACP to engage in national dialogue as tripartite alliance fights for survival

Former ANC president Thabo Mbeki has called on the South African Communist Party to actively participate in an upcoming national dialogue to address the plight of the working class, but the SACP remains determined to pursue its autonomy.

Speaking at the SACP’s fifth special national congress in Boksburg on Saturday, Mbeki said it was important for the alliance partners to collaborate in tackling shared problems and shaping the country’s future. 

The congress, which brought together over 570 delegates representing 37 000 members nationwide, unanimously supported Mbeki’s call to mobilise grassroots membership for the dialogue, scheduled to take place in 2025. 

The initiative is being organised by a coalition of foundations associated with former anti-apartheid leaders, including the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, while the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) will play a critical role in facilitating the discussions.

Mbeki said he had first proposed the dialogue earlier this year, as an inclusive process that would involve political leaders, civil society organisations, and ordinary citizens to address pressing issues such as poverty, unemployment, and racial inequality while offering solutions to strengthen the democratic framework. 

He said the SACP’s participation was essential to ensuring that the voices of the working class and marginalised communities were heard and warned that failure to engage could allow other forces to dominate the discussions, potentially steering the agenda away from the people’s aspirations. 

“This dialogue is for the people,” Mbeki said, contrasting the initiative with the 1994 Kempton Park negotiations which ended apartheid but were dominated by political elites.

“This is not just for the political elites. This is for everyone who cares about the future of our country.”

The SACP has lately criticised the ANC as being “weak” and its general secretary Solly Mapaila earlier this week said a part of him was “bleeding” because this “weakness in leadership” had led to his organisation seeking autonomy and deciding to contest future elections alone.

“The arrogance of political power has led to this decision,” Mapaila said on Wednesday.

The ANC entered into an alliance with the SACP, labour federation Cosatu and the South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco) in the 1990s, but the Communist Party says the ANC has often left it out of critical discussions which have shaped policies in the country.

On Saturday Mapaila said the dialogue next year would honour the SACP’s call to ensure the inclusion of marginalised voices, particularly those of the working class, in the national conversation.

But, he added that while it was open to engagement, the SACP would not back down on its decision to go alone at the 2026 local government elections, with the party’s resolutions accepting the call for autonomy.

Mapaila added that the party would contest all the wards in the municipal elections independently.

Delegates debated whether to adopt a focused campaign targeting specific municipalities, similar to ActionSA’s approach, or to pursue a wall-to-wall strategy to establish itself as a prominent contender in local governance. A wall-to-wall strategy is an electoral approach where a party contests every available position across all regions, ensuring maximum visibility and representation but requiring significant resources and coordination.

“This step is essential for advancing working-class representation,” SACP deputy general secretary Madala Masuku said. “It ensures the struggles of the working class and the poor drive local governance.” 

Mapaila said the decision was not about severing ties with the ANC but rather about ending the “abuse” the SACP has endured within the alliance. 

Citing internal challenges, Mapaila pointed to the example of SACP Mpumalanga chairperson Bonakele Majuba, who faced threats of removal from his MEC position due to internal ANC power struggles. 

Despite such difficulties, Mapaila reiterated that the SACP’s decision aims to strengthen the ANC by asserting the party’s independence and prioritising the interests of the working class. 

He warned delegates to prepare for a potential backlash, noting that some ANC members had already begun threatening SACP comrades over the party’s decision to contest elections.

Cosatu also expressed its support for the SACP’s decision to contest the 2026 municipal elections. Addressing the congress on Saturday, the labour federation’s deputy president Mike Shingange criticised the ANC for sidelining alliance partners during the formation of the government of national unity (GNU) after 29 May elections and failing to engage meaningfully with its allies.

He warned that the ANC’s collaboration with the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the GNU was alienating its base, adding that there were policy clashes such as the DA’s opposition to the national minimum wage, the Basic Education Laws Amendment ( Bela) Act, and the National Health Insurance (NHI).

“Do not force us to love people who hate us,” Shingange said, referencing the DA’s ideological opposition to the alliance’s working-class priorities. 

He added that the ANC leadership had failed to uphold the principles of the alliance, leaving Cosatu and the SACP no choice but to assert themselves independently.

On Friday, ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile acknowledged the criticisms and committed to rebuilding unity within the alliance. 

Mashatile said the ANC would work to restore trust and ensure that the alliance continues to represent the interests of the poor and working class.