ANC in KZN and Gauteng told to suspend activities ahead of 'reconfiguration'

The ANC’s Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provincial structures have been advised to halt party activities including rallies. This comes as the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) discusses plans to “reconfigure” the structures, which may see some members of the top brass reshuffled or ending up without jobs.

The plans will be finalised in a week, following which the national officials will deploy members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to present a detailed reconfiguration plan.

The decision to reconfigure the structures follows the two provinces’ dismal electoral performance in the 29 May 2024 general election.

KwaZulu-Natal is the ANC’s largest province by membership, but it was the hardest hit by the rise of the uMkhonto Wesizwe party. The ANC’s share of the provincial vote dropped from 54.22% in 2019 to 16.99% in 2024.

Read in Daily Maverick: ANC considers disbanding party's KZN leadership

Meanwhile, the ANC in Gauteng, the province with the biggest population of about 17 million, saw its share of the vote drop from 50.02% to 34.8% in 2024.

At a media briefing on Monday, the party’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, confirmed the decision, which was taken after a robust two-day NEC meeting in Boksburg. The NEC is the party’s highest decision-making body between national conferences.

Ahead of the meeting, the NEC had three options: to disband; reinforce; or leave the structures as they are — at the 11th hour, the party decided to rule out the last option.

On Sunday, 19 January, on the sidelines of the meeting, national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said leaving the structures as they are “is no longer an option … because there is an acknowledgement that there are serious organisational, political and service delivery weaknesses that have got to be tackled head-on, and therefore we had to look at the two options.”

The NEC was reportedly split on the direction to take, according to those who were present. However, Mbalula said there were no divisions, but rather differences of opinion, characterising the discussions as “robust”, with only two members who did not make inputs.

Taking the route of reconfiguration was not an easy decision, he said.

“Reconfiguration, that is what we need to do. The buzzword is dissolution or reinforcement; overall, it is a combination of the two and choosing the path of uniting the organisation,” said Mbalula.

Although the provincial executive committees (PECs) will be restructured, Mbalula said the party would not interfere with government processes and officials deployed in government would retain their positions.

This means that Gauteng chairperson Panyaza Lesufi will remain the province’s premier and his deputy, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, will remain MEC for health.

KZN chairperson Siboniso Duma will continue serving as MEC for transport and his deputy, Nomagugu Simelane, will continue her role as MEC for health.

In just a few days, the ANC will “tamper” with the provincial leadership, but within the ANC constitution, said Mbalula.

“We are very clear that the government will not be tampered with, it will remain the way it is. That is the directive of the NEC. We are going to tamper with the ANC leadership, that’s what reconfiguration means, within the framework of the ANC constitution,” said Mbalula.

A Gauteng provincial leader, who asked to remain anonymous,  accused Mbalula of attempting to oust Lesufi, especially as the province has backed Deputy President Paul Mashatile to succeed President Cyril Ramaphosa.

In October, Mbalula attempted to institute disciplinary proceedings against Lesufi for his criticism of the Government of National Unity and what he termed “bringing the party into disrepute” — but he later made an about-turn.

Mbalula’s ambition

KwaZulu-Natal has shown strong opposition to Mbalula’s purported presidential ambitions.

Quizzed on this, Mbalula said: “I have never declared any interest in the ANC presidency. I am not power-hungry or power-drunk.”

Mbalula is said to have pushed for the disbandment of the PECs in a bid to weaken them ahead of the 2027 elective conference, which is set to mark the end of Ramaphosa’s presidency due to the party’s two-term limit.

The ANC in KZN was reduced from a commanding position of power to only 14 seats in the 80-seat provincial legislature. This forced it to become a weaker partner in the Government of Provincial Unity led by Premier Thami Ntuli of the IFP and comprising members of his party, the ANC, the DA and the National Freedom Party.

Read in Daily Maverick: ANC's dilemma: Leadership crisis deepens as MK party threatens KZN coalition stability

Despite this, KZN ANC Provincial Secretary Bheki Mtolo said that if electoral decline was the main reason for disbandment, then the party’s national leadership, specifically the NEC, ought to be held accountable and dissolved as the ANC’s national support had dropped to 40%. DM