ANC firm on renewal, dismisses leadership race speculations inside NGC

ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula has revealed that the party National Congress (ANC) is taking a decisive stand against speculations about leadership challenges, which have dominated the four-day mid term gathering currently underway at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg.

Mbalula insicated that the ANC's uppermost priority is the renewal and party unity, following electoral challenges in some of the former ANC strongholds, including in KZN and Gauteng. In both these provinces, the party has seen its share of the electoral vote declining significantly in the last national elections of 2024.

Mbalula firmly stated that the council will not entertain discussions surrounding leadership races or succession debates, which have been a hot topic in media circles as the party gears up for its 2027 national conference.

In a media briefing on the third day of the NGC, Mbalula reiterated the party's focus on a strong renewal agenda rather than "petty party politics." He emphasised that President Cyril Ramaphosa remains at the heart of this four-day gathering, with an unwavering resolve to strengthen the party's foundational objectives ahead of critical upcoming local government elections.

Calls for calm among the party's constituents were echoed by National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza, who has been mentioned as a potential candidate to succeed Ramaphosa. She urged South Africans to sidestep the media’s diversion tactics and focus instead on the ANC's core mission—performing well in the 2026 elections, alongside preparations for 2029.

"We need to refocus on our core responsibilities," Didiza said. "As public representatives, our primary goal should be to change lives for the better." With the NGC’s emphasis on unity, Didiza’s comments aimed to reassure party members and the public alike that the focus should remain firmly on progress rather than speculation.

As conversations surrounding possible successors to Ramaphosa simmer, names like Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Mbalula himself, and current Ministers Ronald Lamola and Kgosientsho Ramokgopa have surfaced. However, Mbalula has categorically rejected the notion that the NGC will deliberate on leadership changes, declaring that such discussions are not yet timely.

He expressed confidence in the delegates, noting the exemplary behaviour and discipline observed during the council sessions, traits he claimed are indicative of the ANC's renewed spirit. "I do not know where you have heard that the President will be taken out," Mbalula asserted. "Let me tell you that such a thing will not see the light of day given the centre that we are driving." This sentiment was met with nods of agreement from the more than 500 delegates from across South Africa's nine provinces, all engaged in a collective push for party rejuvenation.

On his own hat being thrown into the debate, Mbalula denied that he is gunning for the ANC top job among other candidates, who have been bandied about ahead of the GNC.