PRETORIA, Gauteng — The South African Communist Party (SACP) has officially unveiled its 2026 election manifesto, marking a historic pivot as the organization prepares to contest the upcoming local government elections on its own ticket. Gathered at the Tshwane University of Technology’s Soshanguve campus in Pretoria this Sunday, party leadership declared that the November 4 polls will serve as a mechanism to reconfigure the decades-old tripartite alliance and directly address the collapse of municipal service delivery.
Celebrating its 105th anniversary, the Communist Party is stepping out of the traditional electoral shadow of its alliance partner, the African National Congress (ANC). According to SACP Central Committee and Politburo member Dr. Alex Mashilo, the shift is not an act of hostility, but a necessary assertion of ideological independence.
Mashilo traced the current electoral strategy back to the alliance’s ideological friction following the macroeconomic policy shifts of 1996. He emphasized that the SACP is using the ballot box to amplify working-class consciousness, arguing that true socialism is not an abstract theory, but a practical response to daily survival.
“Socialism is about what people eat, what people wear, whether people have homes, and whether you have paved roads without potholes,” Mashilo explained.
Tackling the Cost of Living and Municipal Corruption
A central pillar of the newly launched manifesto is the outright rejection of the privatization of municipal services and public-private partnerships. Mashilo argued that outsourcing essential services has hollowed out state capacity and fueled systemic corruption.
He highlighted a glaring example involving the Auditor General and a private water tanker company. Following an inquiry, it was discovered that a municipality had overpaid a private contractor by more than R4 million. The recovery of those funds only occurred after the Auditor General issued a directive ordering the municipal manager to pay the money back out of her own pocket.
Furthermore, the manifesto tackles the energy crisis. While 94% of South Africans are connected to the national electricity grid, Mashilo pointed out the harsh economic reality: in some townships, monthly electricity bills exceed the national minimum wage, and rural residents are still forced to use firewood for cooking because they cannot afford prepaid units.
A Broad Coalition of Candidates
To execute this vision at the local government level, the SACP is casting a wide net for its candidate selection process. Acting Spokesperson Mr. Numalo confirmed that the party’s preparations are at an advanced stage, deliberately moving beyond traditional party elites.
According to Numalo, the SACP is collaborating with traditional leaders, church groups, and various community structures. The goal is to field candidates who represent a broader cross-section of society, rather than simply placing internal party leadership into council seats.
Navigating Alliance Tensions and Dual Membership
The decision to contest independently has sparked intense public debate regarding the future of the tripartite alliance and the status of leaders who hold dual membership in both the SACP and the ANC. Media speculation recently swirled around prominent figures suggesting internal rifts over who these leaders would ultimately campaign for.
Mr. Numalo dismissed these rumors, reiterating that dual membership remains fully intact and that the SACP respects the democratic choices of its members. He also clarified the recent absence of National Chairperson Dr. Blade Nzimande from certain local events, noting that Nzimande had traveled to Cuba to attend the centenary celebrations of Fidel Castro. However, Nzimande remains highly active, having recently presided over a major party fundraising dinner in Centurion.
“We are not leaving the alliance,” Numalo stated. “We are reconfiguring the alliance through the ballot. Post-elections, we will sit down and have a better discussion on how we work forward.”
The “Chris Hani” Standard of Leadership
Delivering the keynote address, SACP General Secretary Solly Mapaila framed the independent campaign as a moral imperative to rescue collapsing municipalities. He challenged the party’s candidates to adopt the selfless ethos of the late struggle icon Chris Hani, urging them to reject the petty privileges often associated with modern political office.
Mapaila reminded the crowd that the core of their political ideology is rooted in answering the most basic human questions: Who has water? Who has food? Who has housing?
As the SACP embarks on this unprecedented independent campaign, it maintains that its doors remain open to its historical allies. Invitations to the Pretoria manifesto launch were extended to the ANC, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO), and the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (CONTRALESA).
While COSATU, SANCO, and CONTRALESA confirmed their attendance and delivered messages of support, the ANC’s participation remained unconfirmed at the time of the event. Nevertheless, SACP officials maintained that any ANC representative who chooses to attend will be warmly welcomed by the party’s ranks.
