SACP draws hard line against DA and FF+ coalition deals in Western Cape hung councils
With more than 35, 000 votes attained across the Western Cape, the Communist Party said it is still to discuss this week which parties it will collaborate with in hung councils.
Lindsay Dentlinger
SACP General Secretary, Solly Mapaila, at COSATU's commemoration of Workers' Day at the Kees Taljaard Stadium in Middelburg on 1 May 2025. Picture: Katlego Jiyane/EWN
Katlego Jiyane/EWN
The South African Communist Party (SACP) said its entry into Western Cape municipal councils will be to ensure decent work and to stop the privatisation of services.
With seven council seats attained across six municipalities, the party says it’s pleased with its performance.
It’s drawn a hard line on collaborating with the Democratic Alliance (DA) or the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) in any of the hung councils that will be looking to form coalitions.
With the exception of Prince Albert, the DA has emerged as the leading party in all the hung councils.
With more than 35, 000 votes attained across the Western Cape, the Communist Party said it is still to discuss this week which parties it will collaborate with in hung councils.
The party’s best performance has been in the fraught Knysna municipality where it obtained almost 6 percent of the vote.
Provincial secretary Benson Ngqentsu said that once they take up their seats, his party won’t be a walkover on labour matters in particular.
"The Expanded Public Works Programme must not be used as a new form of cheap labour in municipalities where we exist."
Ngqentsu said the party will also be thinking carefully about coalition partners.
"All those forces whose participation in municipalities is about striking deals, who get positions, who gets what tender, the Communist Party will not be part of that."
In the City of Cape Town, the SACP has obtained two seats.
But Ngqentsu, who recently lost his seat in the provincial legislature when the party decided to contest elections independently of the ANC, says he’s not about to step into the role of city councillor.