The announcement by the ANC that its members who also belong to the SACP have 10 days from Thursday to declare which party they will be campaigning for has the potential to spread significant chaos in both parties. But it also underscores the misguided nature of the SACP's venture in going it alone with no public evidence of any voter support.

Earlier this week, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said his party would write to all its members and give them a deadline of 10 days from Thursday to tell Luthuli House whether they would be campaigning for the SACP or the ANC during the local elections.

Considering the SACP has said it is now campaigning independently, and will be putting up its own candidates in wards around the country, one can hardly blame the ANC for taking this step. It is entirely rational.

But it can still create some interesting and perhaps amusing results.

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The most obvious examples are probably Blade Nzimande and Buti Manamela. Both occupy ministerial positions in the national coalition, taking up valuable seats that would otherwise go to the ANC.

Considering that Nzimande is a former long-time leader of the SACP, it would seem impossible for him to imagine not campaigning for the party.

And yet this will now result in the absurdity of an ANC Cabinet minister campaigning for the SACP. In some wards, this may mean he has to give a speech supporting the SACP candidate and attacking the ANC's candidate. What then?

The only other option would be for him to say...