The SACP has lashed out at its alliance partner the ANC for the state of local government in the Eastern Cape, describing it as a critical site for hope and frustration.
Delivering the political report during the party’s provincial council at the weekend, SACP provincial secretary Xolile Nqatha said while there were signs of improvement such as clean audits in the Joe Gqabi district, Mnquma, Senqu and the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela local municipalities, the “systemic weaknesses in public administration remain widespread”.
Nqatha said the poor audit outcomes in many provincial municipalities “represent a collapse of the accountability ecosystem”.
“This is not a technical failure but a political failure that reflects a disconnect between democratic mandates and service delivery.
“Unless deployment to strategic positions, both in political offices and administration, is tied to competence, political discipline and developmental outcomes, the state will continue to be plagued by inefficiency, corruption and elite capture.
“Municipalities must not become fiefdoms of patronage, but must be centres of popular power and democratic delivery,” Nqatha said.
Nqatha, who also doubles as transport and community safety MEC, was speaking at the party’s provincial council held at the East London City Hall on Saturday.
He said the economic performance of the Eastern Cape remained “deeply troubling”.
“After contracting for three consecutive quarters through late 2023 and early 2024, the economy remains structurally fragile. Key productive sectors such as construction, manufacturing and mining, which are supposed to anchor our industrial development, have all recorded sharp declines.
“Even with a minor drop in the unemployment rate, from 42.4% to 41% in quarter two of 2024, unemployment remains scandalously high, especially among African women, youth and rural communities.
“These figures reflect not mere economic fluctuation, but the consequences of a failed policy architecture, shaped by neoliberal austerity and underinvestment in productive capacity.
“The persistence of these conditions confirms that the current economic model works for capital and not for the working class. Unless reversed, we risk entrenching a dual economy where the majority are structurally excluded from the benefits of democracy.”
The party has resolved to contest the 2026 municipal elections separate from their ally, the ANC.
Speaking on the sidelines, SACP secretary-general Solly Mapaila said though they had discussions with the ANC, they would not be deterred from contestation.
Mapaila said the idea of standing alone had been floated at their previous conference, but was never implemented.
Nqatha said: “We remain committed to the alliance but firmly believe that unity must be based on shared ideological principles and programmatic commitments to advance the working class.
“It is no longer enough for alliance partners to speak of unity while the material conditions of the masses deteriorate. Cordial alliance relations must find practical expression in state policy, in government budgets and in service delivery.”
In a bid to deepen the national democratic revolution, Nqatha said the party’s task in the province included fighting side-by-side with communities for quality public services, land, jobs and dignity.
“We must begin now to build people’s power from below — strengthening street committees, ward-based structures and socialist civic forums.
“We must contest power where necessary, support progressive candidates where appropriate, and most importantly, ensure that local government becomes an instrument of transformative service delivery, participatory democracy and developmental planning.”
ANC provincial chair Oscar Mabuyane, speaking at the council, said the alliance had lost “its meaning and confidence of the masses it once gave hope to”.
“This is a seminal moment, a moment that ought to separate true revolutionaries from stuff riders of the revolution.
“That mission was and still is to serve the people of SA, to end oppression, and to build a nonracial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society.
“This is what bound us together in the trenches of the struggle, and it must continue to bind us in today’s political terrain.
“Building a developmental state is part of our revolutionary mandate. We must have municipalities that work, provide clean water, maintain rural roads, create safe environments and employ competent managers.
“This is where the alliance must focus in the coming period, because the local government elections in 2026 will be a decisive test for our movement,” Mabuyane said.
Mabuyane, who is in his second term as provincial chair, said the ANC controlled many metros and municipalities through “fragile coalitions”.
“Some of these coalitions have been dysfunctional, paralysing service delivery and creating a breeding ground for opportunists.
“We cannot go into 2026 divided and unprepared. We need a unified front, where the alliance stands as one to retain power in our metros and local government. We must rid ourselves of weak, unstable arrangements and replace them with governance that delivers to our people.
“I am making this appeal: let us use our time together to strengthen the tripartite alliance under ANC leadership, resolve disagreements with maturity, and consolidate our resources to ensure the democratic revolution prevails.
“The opposition is watching us. They want to see cracks in the alliance so they can exploit them. We must deny them that opportunity. We must go into the elections as one united force, confident in our shared history and clear in our shared mission.
Mabuyane said the alliance was under pressure from the realities of governance, the complexities of the GNU and the people’s growing impatience.
Daily Dispatch
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