The ANC family gathered in Boksburg this week, but the mood around the party’s National General Council was far from united. Instead, whispers of strain inside the long-standing alliance grew louder, especially after the SACP confirmed that it will contest the next round of local government elections on its own.

For many within the ANC, this signalled something deeper than a strategic disagreement. Limpopo chairperson Dr Phophi Ramathuba described it as a moment that feels personal and painful.

A Decision That Has Been Building for Years

The SACP’s move is not sudden. It follows the party’s December 2024 Special National Congress, where members endorsed the idea of entering elections independently. That decision was reinforced repeatedly throughout 2025 inside the Augmented Central Committee.

Despite behind-the-scenes engagements and attempts to shift the party back into the shared fold, the SACP has not budged. The ANC has now admitted that it will make one more attempt to convince its ally through an alliance summit next year.

The situation has created fresh tension inside provincial ANC structures, especially in Limpopo, where the SACP recently contested by-elections in selected wards. That shift has made dual membership a hot topic again, and many delegates at the NGC arrived with questions on how to manage this new political reality.

Ramathuba: A Sad Moment for the Movement

Speaking quietly but firmly on the sidelines of the NGC, Dr Ramathuba did not hide her disappointment. She is not only a senior ANC figure. She also comes from the SACP structures and has long viewed the alliance as a shared journey toward a larger political vision.

She explained that the ANC has always seen itself as the leader of the alliance as it pursues the National Democratic Revolution. The SACP, in that vision, carries the next phase and takes the movement toward socialism.

According to her, the country has not yet reached the NDR. She believes the parties are still walking that path together. For her, the idea of splitting that journey now feels like a loss.

Dual Membership Back Under the Microscope

Inside Limpopo, members debated the issue of dual membership just before arriving at the NGC. The province had to navigate awkward terrain where both the ANC and the SACP contested the same by-elections.

Despite the competition, the ANC performed strongly in several wards. Ramathuba said the province has adopted a road map to guide branches through the membership conversations still to come.

She added that delegates in Boksburg are also listening closely to how other provinces interpret the moment, suggesting that this is no longer a regional debate but a national turning point.

When Politics Becomes Personal

Ramathuba did not shy away from expressing what many older alliance activists feel. She said it hurts to see tensions rising between organisations that have shaped one another for generations.

She reminded delegates that socialism is not simply a policy position. For those who have lived inside both movements, it is a political character and a personal identity. She sees it as something internal rather than something performed on a campaign stage.

Limpopo, she noted, has been one of the provinces targeted directly by SACP contestation. Yet she insists the provincial ANC government continues to implement policies focused on the working class and aligned with socialist ideals. For her, that work proves that the ideological connection remains strong, even if the election strategy has shifted.

A New Chapter for the Alliance

Across social media, South Africans have taken the news in very different ways. Some see the SACP’s path as overdue independence. Others worry that the split will weaken the broader movement in a year where service delivery remains a volatile national issue.

Inside the ANC, though, there is a clear sense of uncertainty. The alliance that shaped South Africa’s political landscape for decades is entering unfamiliar territory.

For Ramathuba and others who built political careers across both organisations, this moment feels like standing at a crossroads. The destination remains the same, but the path is no longer shared.

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Source: IOL

Featured Image: News24