DURBAN, KwaZulu-Natal — The impending SACP independent election contest is fundamentally reshaping the dynamics of South Africa’s political landscape, according to political analyst Prof. Ntsikelelo Breakfast. With the South African Communist Party (SACP) officially moving forward with its decision to run separately from the ANC-led Tripartite Alliance, the historic coalition faces its most significant ideological and electoral stress test to date.
The SACP recently reaffirmed its commitment to contest the upcoming elections independently, having already filed over 4,000 candidates. This development has placed Federation COSATU in a highly difficult position. Acknowledging the strain of an electoral battle between its alliance partners, COSATU has scheduled a meeting in two weeks to formally deliberate on the SACP’s independent campaign.
Prof. Ntsikelelo Breakfast characterized the SACP’s independent election contest as a “breath of fresh air” in the history of the Tripartite Alliance. He traced the party’s complex lineage back to the 1922 Rand Strike, where the communist party initially aligned with white workers before eventually being subsumed under ANC leadership and accepting the framework of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR). However, both the SACP and COSATU have increasingly voiced grievances about being sidelined, arguing that the ANC frequently makes unilateral decisions without their consultation.
Despite the political separation, Prof. Breakfast cautioned that the SACP and the ANC are effectively “fishing from the same boat.” Both entities heavily target the working-class demographics in rural areas and townships. Consequently, the SACP’s independent run risks eroding the ANC’s traditional voter base, potentially making the ruling party the biggest electoral loser.
To capture this demographic, the SACP is highlighting issues such as de-industrialization, tender corruption, and recent revelations from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. However, Prof. Breakfast expressed skepticism about the party’s ability to monopolize the youth vote. He emphasized that young, predominantly unemployed voters now constitute the majority of the electorate and no longer vote based on historical romanticism or the glorification of the past. Instead, they demand tangible benefits and have previously punished the ANC at the polls for unfulfilled service delivery commitments. Furthermore, the analyst noted that to truly agitate and win over the working class, the SACP must prioritize political education, an area where they have historically fallen short.
Addressing the SACP’s focus on de-industrialization, Prof. Breakfast advised that the party and others must remain open-minded. He stressed that urban industrialization must be balanced with robust rural development to prevent the blowback effects of rapid urbanization, which often leads to the proliferation of informal settlements and overwhelming demands on municipal services.
The analyst did, however, praise the SACP’s strategic inclusion of non-member community activists on their candidate lists. He likened this approach to the philosophies of Paulo Freire and Steve Biko, noting that genuine ontological engagement with the community is far more effective than imposing top-down political dogma.
When assessing the impact on the ANC’s electoral margins, particularly in key contested municipalities like KwaZulu-Natal, Prof. Breakfast was pessimistic about a ruling party rebound. He pointed out that the ANC has already lost substantial ground due to internal infighting, breakaway factions, and the ushering in of Israel. With the ANC’s support having previously dropped to 40% without a corresponding improvement in service delivery, he doubts the party will experience an upward electoral trajectory.
Despite these realities, an SACP spokesperson maintains that the party is not formally leaving the Tripartite Alliance. Prof. Breakfast firmly rejected this notion, arguing that the NDR is the ideological glue binding the three organizations, with the ANC as the designated leader. Contesting elections separately, he argued, collapses this class collaboration. He cited mounting trust issues—such as the exclusion of SACP members from ANC campaign strategy meetings, demands for members to declare their loyalties, and the recall of a communist party member in the Western Cape—as clear indicators that the alliance has reached “the end of the road.”
Finally, addressing the SACP’s staunch opposition to the tender system and privatization, Prof. Breakfast acknowledged the validity of their critique. While the SACP advocates for a strong, state-led delivery model, the analyst pointed out that dismantling privatization requires navigating structural hurdles, notably Section 27 of the Municipal Structures Act of 2000, which grants municipalities the right to outsource. Nevertheless, he agreed that unchecked privatization has created fertile ground for corruption, political killings, and critical service failures, such as the severe water shortages currently plaguing local governments.
