LIVE | SACP media briefing on LGE 2026 preparations

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has announced that its preparations for the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) in 2026 are on track. The party has confirmed that it has submitted its candidate lists to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). For the first time, the SACP will contest the elections independently of its larger alliance partner, the African National Congress (ANC).

SACP General-Secretary Solly Mapaila revealed that the party will field 4,118 ward candidates across the country. In addition, the SACP will also contest proportional councillor seats nationwide. The candidate lists were developed through extensive engagement with communities, which also informed the party's manifesto priorities.

Notably, the SACP is including community candidates who are not members of the party, affirming that they are not "going it alone." These community members, as well as organizations that support the SACP's electoral contest, are seen as part of the broader movement.

Mapaila emphasized that the SACP's move to contest the elections independently does not signify a withdrawal from the alliance with the ANC. Instead, he stressed that the party is exercising its democratic and organizational independence. The SACP will continue to be part of the alliance while pursuing a reconfiguration of its political, ideological, and organizational structures.

The SACP's electoral contest has garnered support from various communities and organizations, including faith-based and traditional bodies. In response to this support, Mapaila expressed gratitude to all communities across the country and the organizations that have welcomed and expressed their backing for the SACP's direct and independent electoral contest.

While the SACP and the ANC maintain tensions ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections, it is crucial to understand that the SACP's independent electoral contest is not a defection from the alliance. Rather, it is an assertion of its right to pursue its reconfiguration while remaining within the umbrella of the ANC-SACP alliance.