The African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, has convened a critical meeting with the provincial leadership of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) to address their poor performance in the May 29 elections. This decision has fueled speculation about potential restructuring within the provincial executive committees (PECs), with some questioning whether disbandment is on the table.
Mbalula issued an invitation to PEC members, emphasizing the importance of their attendance at the upcoming meeting.
“It is compulsory that all PEC members attend the meeting with the NWC. The agenda of the meeting will be shared in due course,” the letter stated.
While the agenda remains undisclosed, the meeting is scheduled to take place in Boksburg on Saturday.
Bheki Mtolo (ANC KZN Secretary):
ANC Nationally ithole 40%. The ANC NEC led by Ramaphosa noMbalula lost and must take responsibility.
KZN PEC takes responsibility for losing KZN to 17%. pic.twitter.com/wPrtas7E7j
— Izwe Lethu (@LandNoli) November 30, 2024
The ANC faced a significant blow during the May 29 national and provincial elections, with its national support dropping to 40%. The decline was particularly stark in KZN and Gauteng, traditionally key strongholds for the party.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the ANC’s support plummeted to a mere 17%, marking a dramatic loss of influence. Much of the voting base in the province shifted towards the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), led by former President Jacob Zuma. Meanwhile, in Gauteng, the party garnered only 34% of the vote, a worrying outcome in one of South Africa’s most populous and politically significant provinces.
This meeting comes amid intensifying internal disputes within the ANC, especially in KZN. There are growing calls for the removal of provincial leadership, driven by accusations that the current leaders lack the strategic capacity to counter MKP’s rising influence.
Part of the meeting’s objective will be to review the party’s election performance and provide provincial leaders with feedback on what went wrong. The ANC’s National Working Committee (NWC) is expected to play a central role in this analysis.
However, the provincial leadership in KZN has not taken the criticism lightly. ANC KZN Secretary Bheki Mtolo has publicly challenged the national leadership’s narrative, placing the blame squarely on figures like President Cyril Ramaphosa and Mbalula for the party’s shortcomings.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa and Mbalula must explain why the party failed to win elections because they are the leaders,” Mtolo asserted.
