Tripartite Alliance Leaders at the COSATU 2026 National May Day Rally – Dr Alex Mahubetswane Mashilo (SACP), Zingisa Losi (COSATU), Paul Mashatile (ANC), Dr Phophi Ramathuba (ANC Limpopo) and Chris Malematja (SANCO)
The COSATU May Day rally at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday, May 1, 2026, was meant to be a celebration of workers unity.
Instead, it became a stage for one of the most awkward political moments in recent Limpopo history. As Dr. Alex Mashilo, a member of the SACP Central Committee, took the microphone, he delivered a message that sent a shiver through the VIP tent.
While acknowledging the dignitaries, Mashilo made a point of looking directly at Phophi Ramathuba. He reminded the crowd and the Premier herself that she was not just the ANC Provincial Chairperson, but also the SACP Deputy Provincial Chairperson. The reminder caused visible discomfort among the leadership on stage. It highlighted the impossible position that many top officials now find themselves in.
This tension follows the 11th ANC Limpopo Provincial Conference, where several senior SACP members were elected to the highest offices of the ANC. The list of leaders with dual roles is long and powerful. It includes Goodman Mtileni, who serves as the ANC Provincial Organiser while acting as the SACP Chairperson. Pule Shayi is the ANC Deputy Secretary and a member of the SACP Provincial Executive Committee. Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya holds a seat on the ANC PEC while serving as the SACP Treasurer.
In any other year, these double roles might have been seen as a sign of a healthy alliance. However, the rules have changed. The SACP has officially resolved to contest the 2026 Local Government Elections independently for the first time. In response, the ANC has drawn a line in the sand. Members have been told they must choose. They cannot campaign for the SACP and remain in the ANC.
For those often described as “Gucci communists,” the choice appears to have been made already. Most have hitched their caravans to the ANC because that is the side where their bread is buttered. These leaders have spent years climbing the ladder of the ANC to reach positions of immense power and influence. They now enjoy the perks and privileges that come with high office, including luxury vehicles, international travel, and significant political weight.
Critics argue that there is no way these leaders will abandon their comfortable lives for the “hard slog” of building socialism from the ground up. To them, the SACP has served as a “vehicular purpose.” It was a tool used to deliver them to power within the ANC. Now that they have arrived, they are likely to stay put to safeguard their careers and their perks.
This trend of moving from the SACP to the comforts of the ANC is not new. Many remember how former leaders like Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma allowed their SACP membership to lapse as they ascended to the presidency. They traded the red flag for the yellow banner once they reached the heights of government.
As the November election approaches, the SACP in Limpopo and across the country faces a mountain to climb. If its own provincial leaders are unwilling to leave their ANC posts to lead the communist cause, the party may find itself fighting a lonely and difficult battle at the ballot box.
For the “Gucci communists,” the choice between a socialist revolution and a government salary seems to be no choice at all.
Dr Alex Mahubetswane Mashilo, SACP Central Committee member, reminds Dr Phophi Ramathuba that she’s also SACP Provincial Deputy Chairperson at the COSATU May Day Rally.
Crowd at the 2026 May Day Rally at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane.
Pule Shayi is the ANC Deputy Provincial Secretary and a member of the SACP Provincial Executive Committee.