ANC administration boss Fikile Mbalula has warned that the upcoming ANC national general council (NGC) in four weeks’ time will not entertain any suggestion for the fall of ANC head President Cyril Ramaphosa and his executive.
Mbalula said the gathering of 1, 600 ANC members, billed for Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on December 8 – 12, will be solely about policy matters and nothing else.
This is despite growing calls from within the ANC that the Ramaphosa-led ANC must be disbanded following the humiliating elections defeat the ANC suffered during the 2024 national and provincial elections.
Mbalula, during a media briefing at Luthuli House in Joburg city centre on Tuesday, put his foot down that such chance-takers “can try” but will not succeed, as no talk about changing leadership will be entertained.
Proper processes available to do so
The firebrand secretary-general said ANC members who have had enough of the Ramaphosa-led NEC must follow the constitution and mobilise signatures of two thirds of ANC branches for a special national conference.
Only at such gathering can the disbandment of the current NEC be on the agenda, he said.
“There are many things that people want about the NGC, they want the NGC to elect new leadership. If members of the ANC do not want the NEC, they can petition the organisation to do that. The NGC is not going to entertain matters of leadership,” said Mbalula.
“We are going to the NGC to entertain strengthening the ANC to come back and win the majority in the elections we are approaching.
“People who are concerned about leadership issues do not really appreciate and understand the moment we are in. The time for who needs to be elected will be in 2027, the NGC will consolidate unity of the ANC, get the mid-term report and make proposals for the future in terms of what we need to strengthen going forward.”
No declining number of delegates
Mbalula poured cold water on speculation that the number of delegates had dropped from more than 4, 000 in last NGC in 2015 to less than 2, 000 now to manage the dissent of membership that is unhappy with a Ramaphosa-led NEC.
Instead, charged Mbalula, it was the formula used now that has led to the 1, 600 delegates with little to do with averting a rebellion from branches.
In any event, Mbalula emphasised, the quality of policy discussions was not a function of big numbers. It was but a function of determination and comprehension of the moment in time in which the former liberation movement finds itself it.
“The desire to elect new leaders and disband current ones, if it is there, they can try. Because it is a democratic platform. But I can tell you right now that NGC is not for disbandment or anything of sort,” said Mbalula.
“The ANC constitution does allow members if they want NEC to be disbanded. They can gather two thirds of ANC branches and call for a special congress and the disbandment of the NEC. It is not something that can just be done by people on WhatsApp groups.”
Focus on revival, survival
Mbalula said the NGC will, and must be ceased with discussing strategy and tactics of how the ANC survives within the context of the GNU while working towards regaining lost ground.
“We are going to be talking about strategy and tactics of the ANC that talks about sustaining the ANC into power, now in the reality of a GNU. How do we come back from that, that is the strategic debate before the NGC of the ANC, not who gets elected,” he said.
“If people want their own leadership and want to go to the NGC to talking about electing new leaders, then they do not understand where we are. There are those who are busy plotting, we see them. I can tell you right now, they will fail.
“We see them with headlines ‘Ramaphosa is facing an uproar’ and this and that. We understand perfectly where we are and what needs to be done. Not only to survive, but to come back. And that is what the NGC will answer.
“That is not a question for 10, 000 people who will be singing from the morning until the afternoon. It will be answered by 1, 600 delegates with other participating in the lead up to the ANC.”
