The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (NEHAWU) reaffirmed its resolution to support the South African Communist Party (SACP) for the 2026 local government elections [1].
This shift signals a growing rift between organized labor and the African National Congress (ANC), potentially altering the electoral landscape for the upcoming local polls. By distancing itself from the ANC, one of the country's largest unions is calling for a more explicit socialist approach to governance.
The decision followed the union's 13th national congress [2], where the organization elected its national leadership last month. More than 600 delegates attended the congress [2], representing nearly 290,000 members [2].
Union leadership said the political trajectory of South Africa requires a clear socialist and pro-working-class stance. This ideological pivot led the union to prioritize its alliance with the SACP over its traditional ties to the ANC.
NEHAWU specifically criticized the ANC for its failure to represent the interests of workers. The union said the current political environment necessitates a departure from the ANC's approach to ensure that labor rights, and socialist principles, are central to the 2026 elections [1].
The resolution aims to solidify a political front that champions the working class through the SACP. This move comes as the union seeks to ensure that the needs of its nearly 290,000 members [2] are reflected in local government policies.
“NEHAWU reaffirmed its resolution to support the SACP for the upcoming 2026 local government elections.”
The decision by NEHAWU to formally back the SACP over the ANC represents a significant fracture in the traditional Tripartite Alliance. By leveraging a membership base of nearly 290,000 workers, the union is attempting to pull South African local politics toward a more rigid socialist framework, challenging the ANC's ability to maintain its hold on the labor vote ahead of the 2026 elections.
