ANC’s resistance to forming coalitions with DA welcomed by SACP

The ANC said it will provide a detailed update on its coalition negotiations on Tuesday The South African Communist Party (SACP) has welcomed the ANC’s stance on forming coalitions with the DA after the local government elections left many hung municipalities across the country. The ANC held a national executive committee (NEC) meeting this week, where its approach to coalition negotiations was discussed. The NEC decided that it would only form a coalition with the DA as a “last resort”. It comes after some ANC members blamed the party’s poor performance in the local elections on its partnership with the DA in the government of national unity (GNU). ANC decision on coalitions The ANC said the high number of hung municipalities requires parties to “reflect and determine the best and most stable coalitions to serve the people of South Africa”. “The development of our country depends largely on the effectiveness of our councils, and the ANC remains committed to establishing stable and working local government,” said ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu late on Friday. The ANC, however, said it will seek agreements with parties that align with its election manifesto. “In line with its local government elections manifesto, the ANC will advance transformation and deepen service delivery, with particular attention to the needs of poor households and the protection of workers’ rights and interests.” SACP urges ANC to ditch DA SACP’s acting national spokesperson Mhlekwa Nxumalo told the SABC that the ANC is now realising how its coalition with the DA could be detrimental. “This is good progress from the side of the ANC. NEC members now acknowledge that some of the problems that the ANC is facing are as a result of the ANC working with the DA,” said Nxumalo. It comes as the SACP this week called upon political parties represented by the “African majority” to form a bloc against the DA and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+). “And this is the issue that we have been raising since 2024, immediately after [the national] election, that the coalition with the DA is a problematic position for us, because it has got a class question on what the DA represents and what the ANC stands for,” added Nxumalo. This week the SACP held discussions with the parties that form the Council of the Left, which includes the MK party and the EFF. Solly Mapaila, the general secretary of the SACP, urged the ANC not to form coalitions with the DA. “We want to convince all organisations, particularly those voted for by an African majority, to work together as a bloc in councils and prevent the DA and the Freedom Front Plus to lead our people,” he said. “It should recognise that this bloc of organisations is willing to work with it as long as they ditch handing over power to reactionary forces like the DA and the Freedom Front Plus.”