The political fallout between the African National Congress (ANC) and its former alliance partner, the South African Communist Party (SACP), has intensified in Limpopo, with SACP provincial secretary Chuene Malebana refusing to resign from the Limpopo Provincial Legislature.
The dispute comes ahead of the 4 November 2026 local government elections, in which the SACP has decided to contest independently rather than campaign alongside the ANC.
ANC Limpopo leadership removed Malebana as chairperson of the provincial legislature’s Health Portfolio Committee and also instructed him to resign as a Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL).
Malebana has since rejected calls to leave the legislature. “Come hell or high water, I will not resign, Malebana said.
According to sources, Malebana had been approached to take up the position of Limpopo Public Service Commissioner if he agreed to leave politics. Malebana confirmed that he had been approached, but said he believed the proposal was linked to efforts to make him abandon the SACP and help “collapse the party”.
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has warned ANC members who also belong to the SACP that they are expected to campaign for the ANC and could face consequences if they campaign for another party.
Malebana was elected SACP Limpopo provincial secretary at the party’s 9th Provincial Congress in Tzaneen on 14 June 2026. At the time, he criticised the absence of several outgoing provincial leaders, including Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba, who had served as the SACP’s provincial deputy chairperson.
The SACP has described the ANC’s action against Malebana as a political attack. The party’s first deputy provincial secretary, Skinjar Ramugumo, argued that the fact that Malebana’s Health Portfolio Committee was singled out demonstrated that the move was political rather than administrative.
