SACP is still determined to pursue an independent political path

By Johnathan Paoli

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has reaffirmed its commitment to contest the 2026 Local Government Elections independently, continuing a significant political shift away from its traditional backing of the Tripartite Alliance.

Central Committee member and SACP spokesperson Alex Mashilo confirmed that his party recently submitted its representation to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to remain registered as a political party.

“The SACP adopted the resolution to contest elections after over 17 years of engagement failed to yield positive results in reconfiguring the Alliance to keep pace with the times and ensure the Alliance’s meaningful role in policy determination, direction, implementation, monitoring and evaluation,” Mashilo said.

This came in response to an IEC notice, issued late last month, to 192 political parties that risked deregistration due to their lack of representation in legislative bodies or failure to contest recent elections.

Mashilo said the party’s decision to contest