The ANC says its NEC has resolved on “clear and decisive positions” following a Special meeting addressing alliance relations and the SACP’s decision to contest elections independently ahead of 2026.
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The African National Congress (ANC) says it has resolved on “clear and decisive positions” following a Special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
The meeting was convened to address the state of the revolutionary Alliance and the implications of the South African Communist Party’s (SACP) decision to contest elections independently.
IOL previously reported that the ANC had convened the Special NEC meeting on Friday to deliberate on the SACP’s decision to contest elections independently, with the party saying the meeting would focus on the evolving relationship between the two alliance partners.
In a statement, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said the Special NEC was mandated by the 5th National General Council held in December 2025 to “conclude and finalise matters relating to the state of the revolutionary Alliance, including recent developments arising from the South African Communist Party (SACP) decision to contest elections independently of the ANC”.
Bhengu said the NEC had engaged in “frank, constructive and principled deliberations”, guided by what the party described as its historic mission to “defend, advance and deepen the National Democratic Revolution”.
Arising from these discussions, she said, the NEC, as the highest decision-making body, resolved on “clear and decisive positions aimed at strengthening the movement, consolidating the unity of the revolutionary Alliance, and positioning the ANC towards the 2026 Local Government Elections”.
She said the ANC had identified its immediate task following the meeting as engaging and formally communicating its decisions to alliance partners.
This would include the SACP, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African National Civics Organisation (SANCO), as well as ANC structures, “respecting the traditions of consultation and mutual respect that define the Alliance”.
Bhengu added that the ANC would communicate further on the NEC decisions in the coming week, including the outcomes of its engagements with the SACP and alliance partners.
This, she said, would ensure that “the structures of the movement, membership and the broader society are properly informed and guided on the ANC positions”.
The party, she said, remained committed to “deepening unity and advancing the transformation agenda as the leader of the revolutionary Alliance and society”.
This included ensuring that the Alliance was positioned to “secure a decisive victory for the National Democratic forces in the 2026 Local Government Elections, fixing local government and transforming the economy in line with the objectives of the NDR”.
Bhengu said the ANC had called on all its structures and members to “remain disciplined, united and focused as the organisation undertakes these critical engagements”.
She added that media interviews would be conducted following consultations with alliance partners and organisational structures, “in line with established processes”.
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