Unity in Struggle: ANC–SACP alliance remains central to South Africa’s political future

The alliance between the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) stands as one of the most enduring and influential partnerships in South Africa’s liberation history. Forged in struggle and sustained through decades of repression, exile and internal debate, this relationship continues to shape the country’s political direction at a time of renewed scrutiny over strategy and leadership.

From the early 20th century, the ANC and SACP found common cause in opposing racial capitalism and colonial rule. Contrary to long-standing claims that the Communist Party was an external imposition, its development was deeply embedded in African political struggles. By the late 1920s, the party had become predominantly African in composition, with figures such as Albert Nzula, Moses Kotane and J.B. Marks at the forefront.

Recognition of this partnership came early. In 1927, ANC President-General Josiah Gumede described the Communist Party as “the only party that honestly and sincerely fights for the oppressed people,” reflecting the shared experiences of workers and activists in unions, campaigns and mass mobilisation.

By the mid-20th century, cooperation had intensified. The two organisations jointly shaped the Congress Alliance, co-founded uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) in 1961 and operated in close coordination while maintaining organisational independence. Their relationship, as articulated in the African Communist journal in 1976, rested on mutual respect for each other’s autonomy.

A defining moment came at the ANC’s 1969 Morogoro Conference, which formalised the alliance’s strategic direction. The conference affirmed that South Africa’s struggle was national in form but rooted in class realities, with leadership expected from the working class and oppressed African majority. It also reinforced non-racialism as a core revolutionary principle.

Central to this framework was the concept of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR), aligned with the SACP’s Two-Stage Theory: first, the defeat of apartheid and racial domination; second, a transition towards socialism through the transformation of economic structures. The SACP’s role has consistently been to ensure that political liberation is accompanied by meaningful economic change.

South Africa’s experience is not unique. Across Africa and beyond, progressive forces have historically united, often overcoming ideological and organisational differences to achieve common national objectives.

In Mozambique, the Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (Frelimo) was formed in 1962 through the merger of three nationalist movements, namely MANU, UDENAMO and UNAMI. This consolidation of fragmented forces created a unified liberation front capable of waging an effective struggle against Portuguese colonial rule.

Similarly, in Tanzania, post-independence political consolidation took place in 1977 with the formation of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). This followed the merger of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) and Zanzibar’s Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP), creating a single dominant political movement that has remained central to the country’s governance.

Latin America offers comparable lessons. In Uruguay, the formation of the Broad Front (Frente Amplio) in 1971 brought together socialists, communists, Christian democrats and other progressive groups into a single coalition. Despite ideological diversity, the alliance enabled sustained political mobilisation and eventually electoral success, demonstrating the power of unity in advancing progressive transformation.

These examples underscore a consistent historical lesson: that unity among progressive forces is often decisive in confronting entrenched systems of domination. South Africa’s own liberation struggle was similarly strengthened by the ANC–SACP alliance, international solidarity and mass mobilisation rooted in working-class leadership.

Since 1994, the alliance has operated within a democratic constitutional framework. Parliament has served as a platform for advancing progressive legislation and institutional reform but it has also revealed the limitations of change within a capitalist system.

The SACP has long argued that parliamentary work must complement, not replace, grassroots mobilisation. Reform without deeper transformation risks stagnation, while transformation without unity risks fragmentation.

Recent developments, including the SACP’s decision to contest local government elections independently, have brought tensions into sharper focus. Rather than signalling a complete rupture, this move reflects growing frustration over the pace of transformation, concerns about governance failures and a desire to reassert working-class influence.

Disagreements of this nature are not unprecedented. Past moments of tension, including debates leading up to Morogoro, have often resulted in renewal rather than division.

History also offers cautionary lessons about factionalism driven by personal ambition. Past divisions have frequently been fuelled by anti-communism, racial chauvinism and narrow nationalism, often used as tools for political advancement.

Such tendencies remain relevant today. Whether expressed through populism or technocratic elitism, careerism poses a threat to the cohesion of the liberation movement. The risk of internal division, long recognised, continues to demand vigilance.

At its core, the ANC–SACP alliance is not merely symbolic but strategic. The ANC provides a broad national platform, while the SACP contributes ideological depth and class analysis. Together, they form the backbone of the National Democratic Revolution.

Weakening this partnership would undermine the ability of the working class and the poor to influence South Africa’s trajectory. South Africa faces persistent inequality, high unemployment and uneven progress since the end of apartheid; in this context, the stakes are high.

Unity within the alliance must be preserved but not without critical engagement. Differences in tactics should not obscure shared long-term goals. The challenge lies in renewing the alliance, strengthening grassroots participation and accelerating meaningful transformation.

The ANC–SACP partnership was forged under conditions of intense struggle. Its future should not be jeopardised in a democratic era where the need for cohesive leadership remains as urgent as ever.

Andile Lungisa, ANC NEC member and former ANC Youth League deputy president