South African Communist Party Clarifies Independent 2026 Election Bid

South African Communist Party general-secretary Solly Mapaila says their decision to independently contest the 2026 local elections should not be seen as trying to weaken the ANC and the alliance. He was speaking at the 30th commemoration of the passing of the former SACP general secretary Joe Slovo in Soweto on Monday. The ANC declined to 40-percent in last year’s elections, down from 57-percent in 2019. Mapaila says the SACP exercising its independence, will lead to transformative, working-class-led local governance: