The African National Congress (ANC) will hold its much-anticipated Special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting this weekend, after several postponements.
The two-day gathering, taking place between Saturday and Sunday, is expected to focus on the state of local government and the controversial dual membership of ANC and South African Communist Party (SACP) members.
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This follows the SACP’s decision to contest elections independently, a move that has raised serious questions within the tripartite alliance. The ANC has previously admitted it will be difficult to regard the SACP as an alliance partner while competing for the same votes in the 2026 local government elections.
Dual Membership Debate Sparks Tension
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has made it clear that the SACP’s decision has forced a critical conversation about dual membership.
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“It is not the question of whether the ANC expels … the resolution itself is bringing into question membership duality of the ANC. It is not the question of threatening people or saying to people because you have dual membership, you must go.
It’s a decision that in its implication means that if you stand as a ward councillor in a ward, you stand opposite to the ANC. It brings into question duality,” said Mbalula.
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In response, SACP General Secretary Solly Mapaila challenged the ANC, saying: “They are ANC members in their own right as much as members of the ANC have decided to join the Communist Party and pursue a further struggle to deepen this transformation. Now, if the ANC takes its own decision to expel our members, it is their own baby.”
ANC Calls SACP’s Election Move “Disastrous”
Mbalula did not hold back in his criticism of the SACP’s stance, calling it the most “disastrous” decision in the history of the alliance.
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“We have reflected, at the theoretical level, what the implication of this monumental disastrous decision of the party are for the alliance and we have said as the ANC, we are against that. But it looks like there is no turning back,” he said.
The ANC NEC will not only deliberate on the alliance crisis but will also assess the performance of more than 6,000 ANC councillors and mayors since the 2021 local elections. A roll call meeting is expected on Monday to conclude the discussions.
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