Benson Ngqentsu, ANC Member of Provincial Legislature and SACP provincial secretary in the Western Cape.
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The ANC has asked the Western Cape legislature to recall SACP provincial secretary Benson Ngqentsu as an MPL after the SACP decided to contest the 2026 local government elections independently.
ANC Provincial Task Team coordinator Thandi Mkasi fired the first salvo when she wrote to Western Cape Legislature Speaker Daylin Mitchell, requesting Ngqentsu's removal amid threats of litigation by his party.
Ngqentsu became aware of his removal on Sunday when ANC chief whip Ayanda Bans notified him of the correspondence copied to her and Mitchell subsequently confirmed it. ANC also wrote to municipalities after it summarily expelled its councillors appearing on lists of other parties.
This was five months after ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula indicated that members holding dual membership should decide who they would support between the ANC and SACP during the municipal elections.
Ngqentsu said yesterday that when they were forced to choose between the SACP and the ANC, his choice was always the working class and its struggle.
“I, therefore, regard my removal from the provincial legislature by the ANC leadership not as a political defeat, but as a badge of honour,” he said.
Ngqentsu also said he did not steal public resources and was not entangled in the tentacles of the underworld criminal network.
“I would rather lose a position than lose my political conviction, the commitment to the class struggle, the struggle for socialism. I would rather stand with the working class than compromise my principles for parliament office,” he added.
The SACP decided to contest the elections independently of the ANC and Ngqentsu has been actively campaigning for the party.
“I am the leader of the SACP and have the political obligation to campaign for the SACP,” he said.
SACP’s Cape Town district secretary Monde Nqulwana said they were backing Ngqentsu.
“We stand with our provincial secretary and commit to double our efforts to advance our working class campaign during these local government elections. We wish strength to the anti-working class leading the ANC now and beyond November 4,” Nqulwana said.
ANC provincial spokesperson Sifiso Mtsweni confirmed a letter has been sent to Mitchell just as correspondence was sent to councils to remove expelled councillors.
Mtsweni said Mbalula has penned a public letter, saying that members of the ANC and the SACP should inform the ANC who they will be campaigning for.
He also said Ngqentsu was expected to be on the ground campaigning for the ANC, but it has become very clear that he would not be campaigning for the ANC in this election.
“The ANC then decided to take a decision to recall him as a Member of the Provincial Legislature and, indeed, a letter was written to the Speaker, and the ANC caucus was informed,” he said.
The ANC provincial leaders were expected to meet on Monday and Tuesday, and thereafter announce replacements for Ngqentsu and the expelled councillors.
Ngqentsu said he and his party were not taking the matter lying down.
“I can say the Communist Party has taken the decision to challenge this matter politically and legally. I have written to the Speaker informing him that I am challenging him not to be a conveyor belt,” he said, adding that he wrote the letter on instruction of the SACP,” he added.
