By Johnathan Paoli
The African National Congress and SA Communist Party have agreed on the urgency of finalising the reconfiguration of the Tripartite Alliance as essential for securing its future amid the changing national political landscape and shifting balance of forces.
They convened a high-level bilateral meeting on Sunday to discuss pressing national issues and the future of their alliance.
The gathering brought together top officials from both organisations, led by ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa and SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila.
The discussions focused on South Africa’s political landscape, economic challenges and the broader agenda of social transformation, with both leaders presenting political inputs and offering candid assessments of the country’s state and the alliance’s role.
The ANC said in a statement on Monday that the meeting emphasised collaboration as a continuous process, not a one-time event, with further engagements planned for early next year.
One of the central themes was the reconfiguration of the alliance, which has faced growing criticism for lacking cohesion.
The parties acknowledged weaknesses stemming from delays in finalising this process and committed to addressing these challenges to strengthen their unity and collective impact.
The two agreed to reconvene in January for another bilateral meeting ahead of the ANC’s national executive committee lekgotla.
This session will incorporate feedback from the ANC’s final NEC meeting of 2024 and the outcomes of the SACP’s fifth special national congress, scheduled for next month.
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said the engagements would aim to solidify positions on the Government of National Unity, the reconfiguration and shared priorities for 2025.
She said preparations for the 2026 local government elections would also take centre stage as the alliance sought to reclaim political ground and restore voter confidence.
Bhengu-Motsiri said both parties recognised the need for a comprehensive review of economic and social transformation policies to address the country’s deep-seated challenges, including unemployment, poverty, inequality and crime.
They pledged to advance the commitments outlined in the alliance’s 2024 election manifesto and announced plans for an alliance economic summit.
The summit will focus on developing actionable strategies to tackle the rising cost of living and systemic social inequalities, while the outcomes of the policy review will be presented to the Alliance Political Council for deliberation before the summit.
Despite the setback of losing its majority status, Bhengu-Motsiri said the ANC and SACP expressed appreciation for the frank and constructive tone of the discussion.
However, during the meeting, the SACP did reiterate its frustration with the ANC’s decision to work with the Democratic Alliance and Freedom Front Plus.
SACP spokesperson Alex Mashilo said the move undoubtedly affected their relationship with the ANC, and referred to the GNU as a betrayal of the national democratic revolution.
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