South African Communist Party wins 271 seats and seeks alliance overhaul with ANC
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on IOL and Sunday Express
The South African Communist Party (SACP), which contested the 2026 local elections alone after 32 years of electoral alliance with the ANC, won 271 seats and 2.38% of the vote. The breakthrough strengthens its calls to overhaul the alliance with the ANC and Cosatu, without an automatic coalition agreement, according to IOL.
The SACP won 271 seats in its first independent participation in local elections, after 32 years of supporting the ANC as part of the tripartite alliance. Alex Mashilo, a member of the party’s central committee and political bureau, ruled out any automatic coalition agreement with the ANC.
The party won four seats in some areas of Nelson Mandela Bay and also made gains in Limpopo and the North West. The Patriotic Alliance won 192 seats, while Rise Mzansi won nine and Build One South Africa seven.
SACP secretary-general Solly Mapaila said the party’s support in councils without a majority could not be taken for granted. Any cooperation would have to take local priorities and the needs of working-class and low-income populations into account, following consultations with members and communities.
The SACP also plans a summit with left-wing parties that contested the election, as part of efforts to establish a Council of the Left. The meeting is expected to examine the development of a common political programme and strategy.
