The future of the ANC-SACP alliance continues to hang in the balance, with both parties moving in different directions due to ideological and policy-related differences.

These have put the matter of dual membership between members under the spotlight at the National General Council (NGC).

As the SACP prepares to contest the 2026 local government elections independently, the party has insisted that its members can still hold dual membership with the ANC, with the ANC now calling for the scrapping of this practice.

Media reports have indicated that dual membership has wreaked havoc in KwaZulu-Natal, where some ANC members are said to be still holding dual membership while campaigning for the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP).

On Wednesday, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula addressed the media on the sidelines of the NGC in Ekurhuleni, where he stated that the ANC is firm on its position on dual membership.

“We have explained that we don’t agree with this stance of dual membership of the SACP. We say that we have failed; we reported to persuade them otherwise, but they are steadfast in that decision. The SACP is now behaving erratically,” he charged.

However, Mbalula revealed that there is another attempt to try to convince the SACP to reverse its policy decision, after numerous previous attempts have stalled.

Mbalula revealed that this will be done through an alliance summit, which will include the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and is scheduled for early 2026.

“We have agreed that we all need to convene a summit of the alliance, so that we all reflect on these matters. The Communist Party is invited….The SACP members will now have to choose between the ANC and the Communist Party. Perhaps, you have heard their message of support, the First Deputy General Secretary of the SACP, Madala Masuku, had difficulties explaining that decision in the plenary we were watching,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the SACP stated it will reject any attempt to abolish dual membership with the ANC.

SACP spokesperson Mbulelo Mandlana said that it will await the final decision on this matter.

“As the SACP, we reject any idea that the long-standing tradition of shared membership between the trade union, the ANC, and the Communist Party should be violated in any way. If that tradition is violated, communities will reject it,” he said.

On Tuesday, SACP 1st Deputy General Secretary Madala Masuku said that the biggest issue the SACP has with the ANC is centred on ideological battles within coalition governments, which seem to shift in favour of the rich, largely represented by the DA.

“Whatever the president has said here when he was delivering in terms of the progress, I am telling you in the next meeting, he is going to repeat that because the system that they are using is not allowing them to move in relation to land, in relation to minerals, sharing of the resources of the country to resolve problems. It can’t.”

One of the provinces that is said to be pushing for the end of the dual membership is  KwaZulu-Natal, with reports that it has called on the NGC to take a decisive stance against dual membership, amid growing tensions with the SACP and the MKP.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za

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