By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) fifth National General Council (NGC) wrapped up on Thursday at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, East of Johannesburg.
The NGC resolved that party members who are also in the South African Communist Party (SACP) must recuse themselves from its meetings on election strategy following its alliance partner’s decision to contest the elections independently.
SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila first announced in December last year that the party’s national executive committee had decided to contest the next local government elections alone.
The SACP felt that the ANC had “sold out” by working with the Democratic Alliance(DA) in a government of national unity, and was also unhappy that it had not been consulted prior to that decision.
President Cyril Ramaphosa who’s term as ANC president expires in 2027, delivered the closing address.
Ramaphosa said the national general council had raised deep concerns about the current state of the alliance and its ability to continue advancing the revolutionary agenda to defend the NDR.
“Accordingly, this NGC has supported the NEC’s assessment that the SACP’s resolution to have the SACP field candidates in the 2026 local government elections will not only have technical implications but will also have strategic implications for the alliance as a whole and for the prosecution of the NDR, “he said.
“The NGC has agreed that the alliance leadership must meet urgently to develop a common approach to the reconfiguration and renewal of the alliance in a manner that safeguards unity, cohesion and avoids further confusion, division and conflict among the rank and file on the ground.”
He added that the NGC had resolved that SACP members serving in joint ANC joint election structures should “recuse” themselves.
“It has been agreed that the alliance leadership must meet urgently to develop a common approach to the reconfiguration and renewal of the alliance in a manner that safeguards unity and cohesion and avoids further confusion, division and conflict among the rank and file of the NDR, “he said.
“And I know this may sound like a broken record, but we should, in a painstaking way, continue to engage.”
Ramaphosa emphasised that the ANC, as the leader of the alliance, must not abandon its responsibility to build unity, including through continued engagement with the SACP.
His remarks followed the delivery of the NGC declaration by ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula.
The declaration was adopted without objection after being seconded by ANC Gauteng co-convener Panyaza Lesufi, followed by delegates from Limpopo.
ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe confirmed its adoption.
The NGC has also reiterated the ANC’s position on broad-based black economic empowerment, with Ramaphosa stating “that we cannot retreat on that”.
He said the GNU must be mandated to ensure that BEE entities and companies that have been previously excluded from playing a key role in the economy are strengthened.
“We should enable them to participate in local content development, and also we must give them more support in the reindustrialisation of our economy in the manufacturing sector, as well as in other areas like the steel and other sectors, “he said.
On the NHI, the president said that the pursuit of universal health coverage is a “key aspiration of the Freedom Charter”.
As a result, the NGC agreed that the movement “must proceed with the implementation of the NHI”.
“We must strengthen all aspects of our health system towards the achievement of affordable, equal quality health for our people,” he said.
The president said that the NGC had observed that certain parties within the GNU were trying to “undermine” ANC policies and were pushing back against them.
They should not be allowed to succeed, he said.
“The NGC correctly noted that some parties that have been using the GNU to try to undermine the transformation of our country as mandated by our constitution, the supreme court of our land,” he said.
“They should not succeed in stopping the transformation process.”
While not explicitly named by Ramaphosa, his address clearly referenced the Democratic Alliance and other smaller parties within the GNU that are actively challenging ANC-led policies, such as BEE and the NHI.
The DA has launched court action against both the NHI and the ANC’s Employment Equity targets, presenting its own policies as alternatives.