Northern Cape ANC chairperson Zamani Saul warns against simple comparisons between his province and those in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal in the wake of the party’s significant
electoral decline across various South African provinces in the recent elections.
Among the provinces grappling with a dip in voter support, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng are highlighted as primary concerns, with losses reaching over 30% and 17%, respectively; however, the Northern Cape also finds itself at the centre of a contentious debate over whether it should also be subjected to potential disbandment since it fell below 50% voter support.
The ANC national executive committee is expected to meet on the sidelines of the party’s January 8 birthday celebrations in Cape Town this coming week to conclude the fate of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, and Saul’s confrontation with the broader disbandment narrative serves as a microcosm of the ANC’s internal conflicts and the challenges it faces in maintaining unity.
“You just can’t start to draw a comparison,” Saul reiterated, underscoring his belief that the Northern Cape should not be indiscriminately lumped in with provinces experiencing more severe electoral crises.
Saul, a staunch ally of President Cyril Ramaphosa, was this week adamant in his defence of his province. He pointed out that while the province’s electoral support had diminished by about 7% since 2019, it was imperative to distinguish between provinces that simply fell below the 50% threshold and those that “performed dismally”.
The ANC’s internal dynamics were under intense scrutiny, as critics argue that all provinces failing to secure a clear majority should face the possibility of dissolution.
“Check all other provinces,” Saul insisted, emphasising that the real yardstick should be the provinces with the most staggering losses, like KZN and Gauteng. But this stance could spark controversy, with some viewing it as a protective measure for the Northern Cape due to Saul’s close ties with Ramaphosa.
Sunday World learnt that there is a growing perception that the province is being shielded from the disbandment debate, a notion that Saul dismissed.
In December, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula announced the party’s Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal branches would find out whether they will be dissolved after January 8.
Mbalula spoke to journalists after the national working committee (NWC) met with the Gauteng provincial executive committee in Boksburg, coming a week after the NWC had a similar meeting with KwaZulu-Natal’s party leaders.
“Disbandment is a total overhaul; we remove and replace the current structure,” Mbalula said at the time.
“Or it can be that we are fine with the status quo and the current people are fit for the task with minor tweaks here and there, or we can bring in new people to provide support to the current structure.”
