ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has shrugged off the South African Communist Party’s (SACP) decision to contest the 2026 local government elections independently, insisting the move poses no threat to the ANC.
Speaking at the ANC’s Mpumalanga Provincial General Council (PGC) at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday, 18 October, Mbalula said the ruling party remains solid, arguing that the SACP “never brought numbers” to the ANC.
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“We are seeing unity of purpose here in Mpumalanga,” Mbalula said during his opening address. “However, it does not mean that everyone is within the fold of unity, but we must bring them along. As we march forward, they must come with us.”
Mbalula praised the province’s commitment to strengthening the party, saying, “The ANC in Mpumalanga is determined, and that determination must be rewarded, not disturbed.”
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‘Leave the SACP to Talk’ – Fikile Mbalula Urges Calm
Turning his attention to the SACP’s decision, Mbalula criticised the party’s stance but encouraged ANC members not to be rattled.
“Comrades of the Communist Party, I’m going to talk about it. You are the ANC, you are different,” he said. “You must be organised, show discipline, and demonstrate that you understand your politics. Political education is the food of the soul – it changes our behaviour and way of thinking.”
He went on to tell members, “Leave comrades of the SACP to talk. After they finish, we correct them with a red pen,” drawing applause from the audience.
Even with the tension, Mbalula said the ANC still wants the SACP to remain part of the tripartite alliance with Cosatu.
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“When you are older, you are not deterred by small things,” he said. “The ANC is like a car with shock absorbers – it can handle rough roads even those without a tar. The ANC is not shaken.”
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The SACP has been vocal in its opposition to the Government of National Unity (GNU), which includes the DA and Freedom Front Plus, arguing it does not represent the working class or black South Africans. Despite this, Mbalula emphasised that the ANC “must not give up on the SACP.”
“Others say they don’t have numbers, but when we go to by-elections, they come back with 70%. They were not formed for numbers. The best thinkers and ideologues in the ANC have always been communists,” he said, noting that the SACP contributed “quality, not quantity.”
“Communist parties never came to the ANC with numbers,” he added. “When we see them getting three or four votes, we know that’s not their thing. They brought quality – they shaped our direction and our political education.”
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Addressing recent remarks by ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, Mbalula apologised to councillors who were offended by Mantashe’s comments that they “sing well but lack capacity.”
“So, comrades, that thing Gwede said about you being good at singing but having no capacity – I know it didn’t sit well. We have apologised for it,” he said. “Tomorrow we don’t want to hear that ANC members don’t understand politics or that they hauled the Communist Party at their platform.”
Mantashe’s earlier comments came amid rising frustration over poor municipal performance and service delivery failures across the country.
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