African National Congress and South African Communist Party: Statement following our bilateral meeting held on Sunday, 24 November 2024

25 November 2024

The African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) held a bilateral meeting on Sunday, 24 November 2024. ANC National Officials, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, and SACP National Office Bearers, led by General Secretary Solly Mapaila, attended the meeting. The purpose was to discuss the political situation in the country, the economy and broader social transformation and development. The meeting also facilitated the exchange of perspectives on each organisation’s positions and the state and role of the broader Alliance.

President Ramaphosa presented the ANC’s political input, while General Secretary Mapaila presented the SACP’s political input. Both leaders provided frank reflections, addressing each Alliance partner’s respective assessment of the challenges and tasks at hand. This was followed by an open discussion, further clarifying and expanding on key points raised. The meeting was pivotal in setting a direction to guide ongoing bilateral engagements between the two Alliance partners, conceptualised as a continuous process rather than a single, one-day event.

To implement the shared perspectives from Sunday’s meeting, the ANC and the SACP will hold another bilateral meeting in January 2025. This will take place ahead of the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) Lekgotla scheduled to take place by the end of January 2025. The January bilateral meeting will be preceded by the ANC’s final NEC meeting for 2024 and the SACP’s Fifth Special National Congress, set to take place from 11 to 14 December 2024.

The next bilateral meeting will therefore provide a platform to further exchange perspectives on feedback from and the positions adopted internally by each Alliance partner. This will include reflections on the positions exchanged on Sunday regarding the Government of National Unity and the reconfiguration of the Alliance. In addition, the meeting will share resolutions on key priorities for 2025 and beyond.

Noting the weaknesses that emerged as a result of lack of finality on the reconfiguration of the Alliance, the two Alliance partners agreed that finalising this reconfiguration is essential for strengthening the Alliance’s unity of purpose, enhancing its collective impact and securing its future amid a changing national political landscape and shifting balance of forces.

Finality on the reconfiguration of the Alliance is a key task facing not only the next bilateral meeting between the two Alliance partners, building on the perspectives shared on Sunday, but, equally important, also the entire Alliance. It is a crucial task for strategic and tactical considerations within each Alliance partner and for the Alliance movement at large regarding the local government elections to be held in 2026.

Frank about the weaknesses that have emerged in the recent period, both Alliance partners agreed on the importance of maintaining regular bilateral and broader Alliance consultative processes.

As part of the broader Alliance, the ANC and the SACP will strengthen participation in the Alliance’s political and technical review of economic and broader social transformation and development policy. The meeting recognised this review as vital, particularly considering the need to advance the key tenets of the manifesto adopted by all Alliance partners ahead of the May 2024 elections.

The results of the economic and broader social transformation and development policy review and recommendations on what is to be done are for consideration by the Alliance Political Council with the participation of other Alliance partners in preparation for the Alliance Economic Summit.

This summit is among the key priorities aimed at overcoming critical issues, including the high unemployment, poverty, inequality, cost of living and crime, among others. Both Alliance partners expressed deep concern about these challenges and reaffirmed their commitment to achieving meaningful progress that prioritises the interests of the people.

At the end of the meeting, both delegations expressed appreciation for the frankness of the engagement and the camaraderie that prevailed throughout, despite the challenging circumstances resulting from the strategic setback of losing the majority status in the May 2024 elections.

Issued by Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, ANC National Spokesperson, 26 November 2024