African National Congress ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula says the party has seemingly failed to convince the communists not to be on the ballot.
Relations between the ANC and the South African Communist Party SACP appear to be at an all-time low. We have reached a stage where we can't persuade the SACP not to contest the upcoming local government elections. The SACP must be aware of the consequences of weakening the alliance, Mbalula says.
The party has held regional conferences across the country, but many of them have been marred by disputes and court litigation.
The National Executive Committee NEC has not considered the results of the early provincial conferences.
Mbalula says, We expect 45 regional conferences to take place between now and December. Timelines will be tightened in terms of conference guidelines.