ANC leaders in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Gauteng are on tenterhooks as they try to understand what a “reconfigured” executive will mean for them, but also the far-reaching impact the decision of the ANC national executive committee (NEC) will have in years to come.
The decision was taken by the ANC NEC, the party’s highest decision making body between national conferences, after a two-day discussion on the devastating loss of electoral support in KZN and Gauteng in the 2024 general elections.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said his office would “within days” make recommendations to the party’s national working committee (NWC), which is the body responsible for the day-to-day governance of the organisation.
Several senior ANC leaders in KZN and Gauteng that Business Day spoke to on Monday were unclear on the way forward.
Mbalula confirmed during a media briefing after the ANC NEC in Joburg on Monday that the party had decided to “reconfigure” its Gauteng and KZN provincial executive committees (PECs).
“It is a reconfiguration, exactly that, a reconfiguration. That is what we need to do. The buzz word is dissolution or reinforcement; overall, it is a combination of the two and choosing the path of uniting the organisation,” Mbalula said.
He added the ANC had “no choice” ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
“They are definitely not [targeted]. We have dropped everywhere but the loss in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng was devastating, so we had to take a deep dive of how we arrest [the problem]. In KwaZulu-Natal we were totally decimated [in the 2024 general elections], so you don’t fold your hands, [you do] what needs to be done. The ANC [had] to respond,” Mbalula said.
He said what that meant in practical terms would be decided by the ANC’s most senior leadership at national level in the coming days.
“Reconfiguring means we are going to be tampering with the leadership [in those provinces] but within the ANC constitution,” Mbalula said.
Mbalula did acknowledge a “compromise had to be reached” in the ANC NEC because some or many of the ANC’s leaders were influenced by their own interests in the party’s succession battle, which is expected to “come to a head at an elective conference in 2027”.
“It is not division, it is a difference of opinion. Some or many were gravitating in interests of polarised (views) in line with 2027, and the ANC NEC said ‘no’, 2027 will be discussed at the right time,” Mbalula said.
TimesLIVE reported on Monday that deputy president Paul Mashatile, chair Gwede Mantashe and deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane were against a disbandment.
National officials who believed that the two structures should be disbanded include Mbalula and second deputy secretary-general Maropene Ramokgopa.
Treasurer-general Gwen Ramokgopa is said to have initially sided with Mbalula.
According to the insiders, these two factions met several NEC members during the ANC’s birthday celebrations in an attempt to lobby for support.
The ANC’s plan to reconfigure its PEC’s will not affect government work, Mbalula said, confirming the party will “reinforce” its KZN and Gauteng structures after the electoral losses last year.
This means Panyaza Lesufi will remain Gauteng premier and Siboniso Duma is likely to continue in Thami Ntuli’s KwaZulu-Natal executive.
Electoral analyst Wayne Sussman said the ANC leader at provincial and national level is important.
He is sceptical about what impact a reconfigured ANC would mean in terms of the party’s electoral decline.
“It can help the ANC in KZN, it remains to seen in Gauteng, whether it will unite the party or create further friction. In all metros the ANC has to have a clear eye on governance instead off factional politics or succession debates.”
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