The ANC’s traditional allies, Cosatu and the SA Communist Party (SACP), have both declined to endorse any candidate running for the powerful positions at the governing party’s upcoming Gauteng provincial conference.
Gauteng Premier and ANC Provincial Convenor Panyaza Lesufi is expected to square off against Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, who is the party’s provincial deputy coordinator, in May.
The ANC Gauteng provincial executive committee was reconfigured early last year, alongside its KwaZulu-Natal structure, after the party suffered significant losses during the 2024 general elections.
Cosatu Gauteng Provincial Chairperson Amos Monyela said the federation will not interfere with the processes of the ANC.
“Our view is the unity of the ANC going to the conference. We wish to see a united conference that will elect capable leaders who will be able to lead a united ANC to the local government elections and beyond,” Monyela added.
The SACP’s Gauteng Provincial Spokesperson Nkosithethile Bonga said at all levels, the party has a principle regarding internal democratic issues of its alliance components.
“The principle is to avoid interfering in internal democratic developments of our alliance partners, and the SACP, therefore, does not have preferred comrades to emerge,” Bonga explained.
The ANC will head to the local government polls without the support of the SACP, which has resolved to contest the elections on its own.
Several ANC leaders, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, have expressed opposition to the move but the SACP appears steadfast on implementing its 2024 special national congress resolution to head to the municipal elections on its own.
At the congress, the SACP stated that its decision to independently contest the 2026 local government elections was rooted in the need to address the crisis of representation facing the working class and poor.
“This step is essential for advancing working-class representation, ensuring that the voices and struggles of the working class and poor drive local governance,” the party stated.
It also added that it was challenging neoliberal policies in order to confront policies like austerity, privatisation, and outsourcing to restore public ownership and prioritise community-driven development.
In addition, the SACP intended to build people’s power in communities through empowering them to take control of local governance through participatory structures such as street committees, co-operatives, and local forums.
It wanted to reconfigure the Tripartite Alliance on the ground to reconnect it with grassroots struggles and align it with the revolutionary objectives of the national democratic revolution.
Loyiso Sidimba
iol.co.za
