ANC in North West hit by wave of defections as members join SACP

According to The Citizen, many ANC branch leaders and councillors in North West municipalities have defected to the South African Communist Party (SACP) and are contesting under the SACP’s banner in the 4 November local elections.

ANC moves to pre-empt departures

According to The Citizen, the ANC plans to pre-empt these defections by expelling the members before they officially leave the party. The Citizen reports that the party’s North West provincial executive committee (PEC) has ordered an investigation into what it described as a betrayal involving its own branch executive committee (BEC) members and sitting councillors.

Who is involved

According to The Citizen, the group under scrutiny includes ward and proportional representation councillors, mayoral committee members, a chief whip and a former mayor who defected to the SACP while still serving the ANC.

Named local figures on SACP lists

According to The Citizen, the SACP candidate lists include several senior local ANC members: Boipelo Marekoa (a PEC member and MMC for public safety in Rustenburg); Thabo Mashomo (Rustenburg’s chair of the public accounts committee); Mojalefa Mosupa (Matlosana MMC for sport, arts and culture); Letswane Ramothibi (ANC chief whip at Naledi municipality); and Pitso Gulane (Naledi council speaker and ward 3 councillor), who is presently running as an independent candidate.

Extent of the defections across the province

According to The Citizen, defectors are spread across all ANC regions in the province, including Bojanala, Ngaka Modiri Molema, Kenneth Kaunda and Dr Ruth Segomotso Mompati. In Rustenburg, seven ANC members have defected to the SACP.

According to The Citizen, Madibeng ward councillors Papi Ratele, Keaobaka Sefike and Nick Rakolle are appearing as SACP candidates.

Other municipal movements

According to The Citizen, other municipalities in North West have seen ANC ward councillors move to different parties: Kabelo Letsatsi (Moses Kotane), Thapelo Sehemo (Ditsobotla), Alfred Thale and Bernard Kenosi (Ramotshere Moiloa), Mlungisi Mbele (Matlosana) and Obakeng Kgonare (Mahikeng) have gone to the MK party.

According to The Citizen, at Naledi municipality the SACP has also gained ANC councillor Rebecca Molefe.

Party response and next steps

According to The Citizen, sources said regional coordinators and secretaries have been instructed to identify those defecting to other parties. The PEC-ordered investigation targets ANC BEC and branch executive task team members, public representatives and others deployed in state organisations.

The Citizen published these reports on 18 September 2026.