Media Statement

The African National Congress convened a Special National Executive Committee, on the 10th of April 2026, at a decisive moment in the life of our movement and our country, bringing together leadership to reflect not only on organisational matters, but to reaffirm the historic mission of the ANC as the leader of society and the primary agent of transformation. This moment demands not only political clarity, but organisational discipline and a firm commitment to implementation, as the movement continues to navigate a complex domestic and global environment while remaining anchored in its historic responsibility to advance the interests of the people of South Africa.

Guided by the mandate of the 5th National General Council, the NEC deliberated with unity and strategic focus, reaching considered positions on key organisational and political matters, including developments within the Alliance. In this regard, the NEC reaffirmed that the Constitution of the ANC remains the supreme organisational instrument governing the rights, duties and conduct of all members, and that its provisions must be applied consistently, fairly and without exception.

The NEC’s deliberations took place against the backdrop of a historic relationship between the ANC and the South African Communist Party (SACP), forged over decades of struggle and rooted in a shared commitment to the National Democratic Revolution. This alliance has delivered significant gains for the people of South Africa, including the expansion of basic services, social protection, democratic rights and economic inclusion.

At the same time, the movement has acknowledged persistent challenges, inequality, unemployment, governance weaknesses and declining public confidence, which have contributed to the electoral setback of 2024.

It is within this context that the NEC considered the implications of the SACP’s resolution to contest elections independently, a position adopted at its 2022 National Congress and reaffirmed in 2024. The ANC has, over an extended period, engaged the SACP and other Alliance partners in an effort to preserve unity and avoid fragmentation of progressive forces. However, these engagements did not yield consensus, and the SACP has proceeded with preparations to contest elections, including participation in by-elections.The NEC noted with concern that this development risks fragmenting the motive forces of the revolution, weakening the Alliance, and undermining the broader transformation agenda at a time when the democratic movement faces both internal weaknesses and coordinated external pressures. Experience from recent by-elections confirms that independent contestation introduces direct political competition with the ANC, creating confusion among supporters and divisions within communities.

THE SPECIAL NEC DECISION

At the centre of its deliberations, the Special NEC took a firm and unambiguous decision to provide organisational clarity, discipline and strategic direction ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections.

The NEC reaffirmed that the ANC Constitution explicitly recognises dual membership within the Alliance, including membership of the SACP, and that members who hold such affiliation enjoy full rights and are subject to the same duties as all ANC members. This principle must be upheld without discrimination or selective application, as unity, discipline and organisational cohesion remain central to the strength of the movement.

At the same time, the NEC reaffirmed that the ANC Constitution is explicit in regulating conduct during elections, providing that no member may stand for election, campaign or canvass in opposition to a candidate endorsed by the ANC. This provision applies without exception and constitutes a binding organisational rule that ensures coherence and discipline in the electoral arena.

In line with this constitutional framework, the NEC has reaffirmed that all members of the ANC are obligated to campaign for the ANC and its candidates in all elections. This obligation is binding on all members, including those who hold dual membership with the SACP.

The NEC therefore clarified that the decision by the SACP to contest elections independently carries clear organisational consequences. These include that the SACP will not participate in ANC election structures, processes, campaign activities or candidate lists, and that all ANC members are required to act in full compliance with the Constitution.

To ensure clarity, consistency and discipline across the movement, the NEC has directed that:

• All ANC members, including those serving in leadership structures and public office, must declare whether they will campaign for the ANC or any other political formation.
• Failure to do so will be interpreted as a commitment to campaign for the ANC in accordance with the Oath of Membership.
• Any conduct that undermines the ANC’s electoral campaign will attract immediate organisational action to safeguard the integrity and cohesion of the movement.• The Secretary General has been mandated to communicate this position as a directive to all structures and members of the organisation, ensuring full organisational alignment as the ANC prepares for the upcoming electoral cycle.

POLITICAL CONTEXT AND STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE

The NEC located this decision within the broader strategic terrain facing the movement. The fragmentation of progressive forces, combined with the proliferation of political parties and intensified anti-transformation narratives, poses a real risk of further weakening the democratic movement below its current electoral base.

The 2026 Local Government Elections are therefore a critical moment to defend and consolidate the gains of democracy, rebuild public confidence, and reassert the leadership of the ANC among the people. The movement calls on all its members to remain focused on improving service delivery, accelerating economic transformation, engaging communities directly, and mobilising voters across the country.

COMMITMENT TO THE ALLIANCE

Despite the current challenges, the ANC reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the Revolutionary Alliance as the most effective vehicle to advance the interests of the South African people and the objectives of the National Democratic Revolution.

The African National Congress emphasises that the Alliance is a product of a shared history of struggle forged in the trenches and crucible of revolution consolidated through decades of joint programmatic engagement in pursuit of the National Democratic Revolution. It is an alliance shaped by a common revolutionary programme, grounded in a shared outlook informed by Marxist-Leninist tools of analysis of race, class, and gender.

This Revolution has been sustained by generations of leaders from President Gumede, Dr Xuma, Dr Yusuf Dadoo, Chief Albert Luthuli, Moses Kotane, Oliver Tambo, Moses Mabhida, to Nelson Mandela, Joe Slovo, Ruth First, Chris Hani, Thabo Mbeki and Charles Nqakula, who understood that the unity of the motive forces of the revolution is indispensable to the advance towards a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society.

The ANC remains in alliance with the SACP, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), and the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO), each an independent organisation with its own constitution, membership and programmes. This Alliance is founded on a common commitment to the objectives of the National Democratic Revolution to resolve the interrelated contradictions of national

oppression, class exploitation and gender inequality and the strategic imperative to unite the broadest possible cross-section of South Africans, particularly the motive forces, behind a programme of radical socio- economic transformation and the building of a National Democratic Society.The Alliance is experiencing a difficult moment, but its renewal and reconfiguration remain central to the long-term project of building a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.

CONCLUSION

The Special NEC decision marks a moment of organisational clarity, unity of purpose and strategic discipline.

The ANC will approach the 2026 Local Government Elections focused, united and determined to defend, consolidate and advance the gains of freedom.

All ANC members are called upon to remain disciplined, rooted among the people, and committed to ensuring that the movement continues to serve as the primary agent of transformation and a trusted vehicle for a better life for all.

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