COSATU backs ANC and SACP as alliance tensions put election unity to the test

The federation set out its position during a media briefing in Johannesburg on Monday, saying its approach was based on a resolution adopted at its 15th National Congress, held from 12 to 14 October 2026. Rather than choosing one side in the increasingly public dispute between the ANC and SACP, COSATU said it would back both organisations in pursuit of working-class unity.

That support, however, comes with conditions. COSATU made clear that its political backing is not a blank cheque and should be measured against a programme focused on employment, functioning local government, affordable services and the protection of workers’ rights.

COSATU’s support comes with a shopping list

COSATU general secretary Zingiswa Losi said the federation’s position was intended to advance a political programme that responds to workers’ demands. The focus is firmly on the issues that local government is expected to address in people’s daily lives, from basic services to municipal accountability.

“In the context of the 2026 local government elections, the Federation’s Congress mandate calls for principled support for the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP), with the objective of strengthening working-class unity and advancing a programme that responds to workers’ demands,” Losi said.

The priorities identified by the federation include:

• Job creation and conditions that support decent work;
• Reliable public services and affordable basic services;
• Accountable municipalities;
• Infrastructure development; and
• The protection of workers’ rights.

In practical terms, COSATU is asking workers and communities to judge political support by what elected representatives deliver. The federation’s message is that campaign commitments should translate into functioning municipalities and improvements in the lives of working-class people, rather than ending once ballots have been counted.

Mobilisation begins ahead of the 4 November vote

Losi said COSATU was intensifying its election campaign and mobilisation efforts ahead of next week’s local government elections. The federation has called on its affiliates, shop stewards, organisers and members to engage workers and communities around its stated priorities.

“COSATU is intensifying its election campaign and mobilisation in preparation for the 4 November 2026 local government elections,” she said.

The campaign will be guided by the resolution adopted at the federation’s national congress, as well as COSATU’s stated responsibility to ensure that workers have a voice in shaping the direction of local government and the country’s broader development path.

For COSATU, electoral participation is not simply about supporting candidates or political organisations. It is also a way to build working-class power and push for what the federation describes as meaningful social and economic transformation.

“The campaign will emphasise that elections must serve as an instrument for advancing the interests of workers and poor communities,” Losi said.

The federation also said it would continue engaging workers and communities on the importance of holding elected representatives accountable for service delivery, creating conditions for decent work and improving the lives of working-class people.

ANC and SACP remain divided over independent campaigns

COSATU’s decision to support both organisations comes against the backdrop of a prolonged dispute inside the tripartite alliance, which consists of the ANC, the SACP and COSATU.

The disagreement intensified after the SACP’s special congress in December 2024 confirmed the party’s decision to contest elections independently of the ANC. SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila has maintained that the party will campaign independently while remaining part of the tripartite alliance.

That position has left the alliance facing a difficult electoral reality: organisations that have historically operated together are now pursuing competing campaign strategies while still presenting themselves as part of the same broader political partnership.

Mapaila has also repeatedly criticised the Government of National Unity formed after the May 2024 general elections. He has argued that the GNU, which includes the Democratic Alliance and the Freedom Front Plus, does not represent the interests of black people and the working class.

The dispute has not been resolved despite attempts by the ANC to persuade the SACP to reconsider its decision to contest elections independently.

Both ANC and SACP members asked to choose

The tension culminated in an ANC National Executive Committee decision earlier this year calling on members of both the ANC and the SACP to choose which formation they would campaign for in the 4 November elections.

That instruction underlines the pressure now surrounding the alliance. While COSATU is seeking to maintain support for both political partners, the ANC and SACP are asking their members to navigate an election in which the two organisations will not be operating from the same campaign platform.

COSATU’s position therefore places it in a distinctive position. The federation is backing both alliance partners, but it is also insisting that neither should treat that support as unconditional. Its message is that political organisations must demonstrate a commitment to employment, public services, municipal accountability and workers’ rights.

A test of what alliance support means

The federation’s approach attempts to keep the focus on workers’ interests while the ANC and SACP manage their electoral disagreement. Whether that will strengthen working-class unity, as COSATU intends, will be tested during the campaign and at the ballot box.

For voters and communities, the federation’s demands offer a straightforward measure of performance: jobs, services, infrastructure, affordable basic necessities and accountable local government. For the ANC and SACP, COSATU’s position is a reminder that alliance support is being tied to a programme, not offered as an automatic endorsement.

With the 4 November local government elections approaching, COSATU will now work to mobilise its members and communities around both organisations while pressing them to respond to the needs of workers and poor communities. The alliance may be divided over campaign tactics, but the federation says its political support will be guided by the interests of the people it represents.