By STAFF REPORTER
3 November 2026 – The South African Communist Party (SACP) in North West has described its independent participation in the 2026 Local Government Elections (LGEs) as a historic milestone in the party’s political journey. The party said its decision to contest the elections independently, following a resolution adopted at its Special National Congress, marked a significant turning point since the dawn of South Africa’s democracy in 1994.
SACP provincial secretary, Smuts Matshe said for the first time since the country’s democratic breakthrough, the SACP is contesting local government elections independently, with its red emblem appearing on the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) ballot papers outside the traditional Alliance platform. Matshe said the development represented an important opportunity for the working class and poor communities to have direct political representation in municipal councils.
Quoting revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin, Matshe said: “There are decades where nothing happens and there are weeks where decades happen.” He said the party viewed its independent participation as a watershed moment that would help strengthen its identity and distinguish its political programme from other organisations within the broader liberation movement.
“The first great victory of this revolutionary campaign is the decisive shaping of the independent class profile of the Communist Party of Cde Moses Kotane. This is of paramount importance because for decades, our communists correctly focused most of their consistent political energies on building the broad liberation movement, which in turn made it difficult to distinguish the communist from the non-communist within the movement.
“The positive reception received from working-class communities and poor residents during the campaign had strengthened the party’s confidence that it could secure representation in municipal councils,” he said.
According to Matshe, the SACP is contesting in almost every ward in the province, with the intention of ensuring that working-class interests are directly represented in local government. He further said the provincial leadership also expressed appreciation to its members, Red Brigades and community activists who campaigned despite serious financial constraints. Matshe added that the campaign was guided by the party’s slogan: “Build People’s Power Where We Live – Socialism is the Future, Build it Now!”
He said the party remained confident of electoral success, but cautioned members that winning elections was only one part of the broader struggle to achieve socialism. Matshe said they are confident of victory, but they caution their membership that while electoral victory is key, it is but one terrain of struggle and one key section of power in their march towards a socialist order.
“State power alone does not equal socialism. The party further called on its councillor candidates, should they be elected, to uphold the highest standards of revolutionary discipline, accountability and ethical leadership.
“The candidates were expected to follow the example set by the party’s former General Secretary, the late Chris Thembisile Hani. The SACP was contesting the elections in Hani’s revolutionary name, with a commitment to addressing service delivery challenges, fighting corruption and advancing working-class interests in municipalities,” he said.
Matshe said the party also released the voting details of its Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) members, including their respective wards, voting districts, municipalities and scheduled voting times. He said the information formed part of its election participation update as members prepared to exercise their democratic right.
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