As the dawn of 2025 breaks, South Africa’s political landscape is a powder keg, ready to explode. The ANC faces its darkest hour as whispers of disbanding its Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal branches grow louder. A devastating election loss has pushed the once-mighty party to the brink, potentially reshaping the political landscape forever.
Such a disbandment could unleash chaos, splintering the party into warring factions and leaving it vulnerable to opposition attacks. It’s not just electoral defeat; it’s a fight for survival, as the ANC grapples with its identity and future.
A decision is expected on the sidelines of the party’s January 8 birthday celebrations in Cape Town.
President Cyril Ramaphosa finds himself entangled in the suffocating grip of the Phala Phala scandal. The Constitutional Court’s deliberation on the EFF’s bid to revive impeachment proceedings against him threatens to decimate not only his presidency but the ANC’s very foundation. If the court sides with the EFF, Ramaphosa’s leadership will likely crumble, leaving his legacy in ruins and the ANC’s 2026 municipal elections prospects in tatters.
This potential political firestorm has opposition parties circling like vultures, ready to feast on the ANC’s carcass as the party struggles with a crisis of legitimacy. For Ramaphosa, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Will the scandal signal the end of his political career, or will he manage to weather the storm?
Adding fuel to the fire is former president Jacob Zuma, now at the helm of the official opposition MK Party. Zuma’s career, a saga of scandal and resilience, continues to captivate. Despite the corruption allegations that led to his dismissal as deputy president by Thabo Mbeki in 2005, Zuma somehow clawed his way back into the political spotlight.
But the arms deal corruption allegations haunt him, threatening to un-ravel his return. The trial is scheduled to start on April 14. Will his scandalous past bolster his party, or further tarnish his name? The outcome could deepen South Africa’s political divide, challenging the very essence of its democracy.
The ANC and MK Party’s legal clash over the uMkhonto we Sizwe name isn’t just a battle over copyrights; it’s an existential struggle for South Africa’s political soul. The ANC, once a symbol of liberation, now finds its moral authority questioned. Meanwhile, Zuma seizes this opportunity, branding the ANC as betrayers and rallying support for his cause.
The MK Party may be a minor player, but it stands to gain, portraying itself as the true guardian of revolutionary va-lues. This is more than legal wrangling – it’s a brutal contest for the nation’s political identity.
How the EFF stabilises following the departure of high-profile leaders to the newly formed MK Party should shape up as one of the year’s big stories. Julius Malema, the fiery figure at the helm of the EFF, now faces an existential challenge to stabilise his party amid these unprecedented resignations.
The EFF has been a thorn in the side of South Africa’s political establishment since its inception, championing the disenfranchised with a brand of politics that is as confrontational as it is compelling. Yet, the defection of key leaders raises questions: sas the party’s rebellious allure dimmed, or is the MK Party simply a more enticing rebel with a cause?
The political ramifications are vast, suggesting a deep ideological rift that could reshape allegiances and disrupt the status quo.
Meanwhile, Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube, of the DA, is poised to shake the ANC-led establishment with regulations for the Bela Act. Far from a mere policy change, this move threatens to fracture Ramaphosa’s government of national unity (GNU), exposing rifts and testing loyalties.
The GNU is further imperilled by the explosive National Health Insurance (NHI) debate, a contentious issue that could see the coalition unravel. As opposition grows, mainly from the DA, Ramaphosa’s grip on power weakens. The NHI isn’t just a policy dispute; it’s a battleground for the GNU’s direction, revealing deep ideological
divides.
Minister of Electricity Sputla Ramo-kgopa faces the daunting challenge of resolving the power crisis – a test of the ANC’s competence ahead of the 2026 municipal elections. As the year progresses, the countdown to the elections promises new chapters of drama.
The ANC, reeling from its humilia-ting losses in the May 29, 2024 general elections, teeters on the edge as it gears up for another electoral showdown. The party’s once-unassailable grip on power is slipping, with voter disillusionment at an all-time high. Service delivery failures and corruption scandals have fuelled public outrage, threatening disaster for the ANC’s municipal stronghold.
