SACP Reaffirms Commitment to Alliance but Warns ANC Against Arrogance
Viable News Team 
Image Credit: Katlego Jiyane/EWN
Johannesburg – The South African Communist Party (SACP) says it does not want to preside over the collapse of the tripartite alliance but warned that it will not tolerate the African National Congress (ANC)’s “arrogance.”
The alliance, which has held for over three decades between the ANC, SACP and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), faces strain after the SACP announced it would contest elections independently rather than under the ANC banner.
At a media briefing on Sunday in Johannesburg, SACP General Secretary Solly Mapaila stressed the party’s commitment to the alliance but highlighted frustrations with the ANC’s refusal to reconfigure its decision-making processes.
“We don’t want to preside over the break-up of the alliance. We have re-affirmed the alliance and its programme. That’s why we are here — to talk about the intensification of our grassroots mobilisation to deepen the national democratic revolution,” Mapaila said.
The SACP argues that the ANC’s unilateral approach sidelines its partners and undermines collective engagement. Mapaila added that the SACP has “non-negotiables” if the alliance is to be reconfigured, rejecting any suggestion that the party should step back from participating in elections.
“We will never accept unilateralism; we need collective engagement. We remain open to engaging with the ANC, but this engagement should not be premised on us withdrawing from elections,” he explained.
The SACP has pointed to persistent inequality in South Africa, emphasising that economic power remains concentrated in the hands of a white minority and large corporations, which it says dominate key sectors of the economy.
Despite the growing tension, Mapaila made it clear that the SACP still values the alliance but seeks a rebalanced partnership based on mutual respect and collaboration.
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