SACP willing to enter coalition with Free State ANC

Party has tough conditions for ANC

The SACP is willing to go into a coalition with the ANC in Metsimaholo Municipality in the Free State, provided the governing party meets its conditions.

The communist party’s conditions include commitment to respecting the people and fighting corruption and corporate capture.

Metsimaholo Municipality became a hung council once again after there was no outright winner in the by-elections in the town last week.

This means that a coalition government will have to be formed.

The SACP, which contested the by-elections for the first time, won three seats. The ANC won 16 seats, the DA 11 and the EFF eight.

Yesterday, SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande said the party would be guided by communities on what should happen in the municipality.

“One thing that led us to contest the elections in Metsimaholo is that the communities there asked us to stand.

“Some of the people were saying we would vote for you provided you are not going to enter into alliance with the ANC,” Nzimande said. “But we have said to comrades, go and take this issue to the communities and engage them.”

Nzimande was addressing journalists at the SACP’s end-of-year central committee meeting in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni.

Nzimande lashed out at ANC Free State chairman and premier Ace Magashule, saying the SACP won three seats in the Metsimaholo byelections in the face of considerable “destabilisation efforts and threats” from the Magashule faction.

“If the ANC can humble itself to the masses in Metsimaholo we may consider working with it,” SACP first deputy general-secretary Solly Mapaila said.

Nzimande made it clear that the SACP would not enter into a coalition with the DA.