By Thapelo Molefe
With local government elections looming and the ANC facing what it describes as an “existential moment”, Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula on Saturday moved to shut down early succession battles, warning that internal campaigning, money politics and factional manoeuvring would not be tolerated.
In recent months, a flurry of media reports has suggested that several senior ANC leaders are already positioning themselves in a succession race ahead of the party’s next national conference in 2027.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) lekgotla in Boksburg, Mbalula said the movement’s survival depended on restoring credibility in municipalities — not leadership contests.
“There will be no 2027 without 2026,” Mbalula said.
“If we collapse local government, there is no future for the ANC. People must stop behaving as if conferences come before communities.”
He issued a blunt warning to members already positioning themselves for the ANC’s next leadership contest.
“Anyone who is printing T-shirts, moving money, mobilising support and campaigning now is engaging in misconduct,” he said.
“We will not hesitate to disqualify candidates. Discipline is not optional — it is a condition of membership.”
Mbalula said the NEC lekgotla was focused on tightening implementation and enforcing accountability, particularly in municipalities where service delivery failures, corruption and political instability continue to drive voter anger.
“We are not short of policies. We are short of execution,” he said. “This movement has resolutions. What has been missing is enforcement, monitoring and consequences — and that is what changes now.”
He confirmed that ANC national officials had been mandated to play a direct role in stabilising municipalities and overseeing mayoral deployments.
“We are centralising oversight because collapse in local government is not an option,” Mbalula said.
“Where leadership is weak, we will intervene. Where there is corruption, there will be consequences. Where people are failing, they will be changed.”
His remarks come amid ongoing scrutiny of the ANC’s Greater Johannesburg elective conference held in December, where Loyiso Masuku defeated incumbent Dada Morero for the position of regional chairperson.
The conference has since been clouded by allegations of vote-buying, bribery and procedural irregularities.
Mbalula confirmed that he had received a formal complaint from Morero, including concerns about a potential conflict of interest involving a delegate responsible for counting ballots who had previously worked in Masuku’s office.
He said the party’s electoral commission was investigating the matter and that the process would be concluded within a week.
On internal disputes, Mbalula dismissed claims of police involvement in the Johannesburg conference, saying the party would not allow its internal processes to be criminalised.
“The ANC is not run by police stations,” he said.
“We deal with our issues politically and organisationally — not through social media narratives and rumours.”
He also acknowledged growing public frustration with what he described as “event-based governance”, where services appear only when political leaders visit communities.
“We cannot arrive with convoys and suddenly fix things for a rally,” he said. “People see that. It destroys trust. Service delivery must be permanent, not performative.”
As the NEC lekgotla continues, Mbalula said the party’s focus was clear.
“This is not a year for slogans. It is a year for action,” he said.
“If we fail to change people’s lives on the ground, no amount of campaigning will save us.”
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