SACP, COSATU say ANC must honour Mabuza by regaining its political strength at 2026 polls

MBOMBELA - The African National Congress’s (ANC) alliance partners say in honour of its former deputy president, David Mabuza, the party must regain its political strength during next year’s municipal elections.

Addressing mourners at Mabuza’s memorial service in Mbombela on Thursday afternoon, South African Communist Party (SACP) and Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) leaders emphasised that merely remembering him was not enough.

READ: Late David Mabuza remembered as a disciplined leader at memorial service

Despite the SACP’s plans to contest the elections independently, it said that the ANC had an obligation to restore its influence.

Those who were close to the former deputy president revealed that he was troubled by the ANC’s poor showing in last year’s general elections.

Many have recalled some of their last encounters with the Mabuza, saying that he often called meetings to plot the ANC’s recovery plan for next year’s municipal polls.

The SACP’s Goodman Malatji said that while his party would contest elections independently, it remains the ANC’s responsibility to fulfil Mabuza’s vision.

"We are going to contest the elections but we are not leaving the [tripartite] alliance. We didn’t retain our majority in the 2024 elections, so it would be proper for us to come together as an alliance."

COSATU has echoed these sentiments, also adding that Mabuza wanted untiy within the tripartite alliance.