SACP’s Solly Mapaila Under Fire for Allegedly Handing Victory to the DA in LGE2026

Solly Mapaila is facing fresh anger from ANC supporters, and the fight is spilling across social media. The South African Communist Party has decided to contest the 2026 local government elections on its own, and some ANC loyalists are blaming the SACP general secretary for the split.

As the final results trickle in, the old Tripartite Alliance is back at the centre of the debate. One ANC supporter posted a sharp message online accusing Mapaila of working against the interests of the ANC. The critic argued that his opposition to the Government of National Unity, which includes the Democratic Alliance, has caused division among allies and confused loyal voters. The same post also claimed that the SACP’s stance indirectly helps the DA by weakening cooperation between parties that once campaigned side by side.

For decades, the ANC, the SACP and the Congress of South African Trade Unions worked as a powerful team. Together they mobilised voters across communities, especially working-class families who relied on the alliance for guidance at election time. That bond has been under strain for a while, and disagreements over the ANC’s role in the GNU have only made the cracks wider.

Mapaila has been consistent in his criticism of the GNU. He argues that the ANC’s partnership with the DA works against the interests of ordinary workers and the wider goals of the liberation movement. The SACP has stuck to its decision to run on its own despite pressure from sections of the ANC to change course.

The numbers are adding fuel to the fire. Reuters reported on Friday, 6 November, that with 71% of votes counted, the ANC stood at 32% and the DA at 25%. Observers warn that the split could hurt the ANC’s traditional voting power, especially in municipalities where it once relied on support from organised labour and communist structures. Coalition talks are underway in several areas, and the fate of the alliance could shape those deals.

The message from the SACP’s critics also invoked the legacy of Chris Hani, the former SACP leader, with the argument that today’s divisions are betraying the movement he helped lead.

So here is the question splitting the comments section: can the ANC and SACP patch things up after this election, or has this separation just become the new normal for South African politics?

https://x.com/Constitution_94/status/2118389746107809996?a=5RIt6T-TYjGU8KyxkS4&s=19

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