SOUTH AFRICA — The South African Communist Party (SACP) has secured almost 3% of the vote in the Northern Cape in its first-ever contest of local government elections, while the African National Congress (ANC) leads the province with just over 41% following the completion of counting, the party said in an interview at the election results operations centre.
The SACP’s performance in the province was outlined by party representative Deno, who said the outcome validated the organisation’s decision to contest elections independently of its long-standing alliance partner, the ANC.
Not a breakaway, but a decision to contest
The SACP’s entry into the local government elections had initially been characterised as a breakaway from the ANC. That description was rejected in the interview, with the clarification that the move was simply a decision by the SACP to contest the local government elections, rather than a split from its alliance partner.
It is the first time the SACP has contested any election, having historically operated as an alliance partner of the ANC rather than as an electoral competitor.
Counting complete in the Northern Cape
The Northern Cape has tallied and counted all of its votes. The ANC is leading with just over 41%, short of an outright majority, while the SACP recorded almost 3%.
Deno said the party was grateful for the result, pointing to the vastness of the province and the difficulty of campaigning across it. He noted that the SACP’s general secretary had undertaken a campaign trail in the province during the final two days of the campaign.
Positive outcomes, he said, were recorded in particular in the Frances Baard district, which includes the Kimberley region. Municipalities cited as areas where the party secured representation included Phokwane, Dikgatlong and Magareng. Some of these municipalities were also sites where the SACP launched its “people’s red caravans”.
He said the results demonstrated that returning to communities and serving them diligently and with commitment leads residents to associate with the party’s programme of action. He thanked the Northern Cape communities that turned out in numbers and said the party would build on the percentage obtained.
Coalition discussions and 17 hung municipalities
With 17 hung municipalities in the Northern Cape and the ANC falling short of an outright majority, coalition discussions are expected in the province.
Deno said that although counting in the province was complete, the SACP would wait for the entire process to conclude nationally before proceeding. He said the party was not representing itself but the people, and that communities would provide guidance on the way forward.
The SACP, he said, did not campaign for any party but on behalf of the working class and the poor. The party’s non-negotiable interests, he said, are those representing the working class and the poor, ensuring basic services are delivered, and tolerating no corruption. These positions, he indicated, would form part of the basis of any discussions.
He said coalition arrangements were not the party’s immediate concern, as its objective was not leadership positions for their own sake. Whether in opposition or in positions of responsibility, he said, the party would continue working with communities and serving them diligently.
Deno added that the SACP had instructed its councillor candidates that even those who did not win seats must continue working closely with communities and ensure the people’s red caravan is known across all wards in the country.
Will the SACP work with the ANC?
Asked directly whether the SACP would work with the ANC in the Northern Cape, Deno said the matter was not a given.
The party, he said, would be guided by the class it represents and by the people who entrusted it with their votes, including their response to its programme of action and the manifesto it presented. He said the party would seek to carry through the six priorities it has elevated, and that this would form the basis of engagement with any party it engages with.
The SACP’s position remains that its ground-level work in the Northern Cape is reflected in the results recorded in the province.
