By Johnathan Paoli
ANC chairman Gwede Mantashe on Tuesday pushed back against what he said was a narrow, headline-driven view of the party’s renewal drive.
He said that the ANC’s rebuilding efforts should be judged by steady institutional gains and improved service delivery, rather than a single, dramatic turning point.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the ANC’s 5th National General Council (NGC) in Ekurhuleni, Mantashe said public and media expectations often miss the work underway inside the party.
“The problem with modern economics is that your view of renewal is that of an event. Everything that we do, we consolidate and move on. And that’s what the real system is,” he said.
He pointed to the revival of ANC internal structures as evidence that the party’s renewal agenda was progressing.
“We live in a functioning structure. All of a sudden, all the leagues have functioning structures. And you don’t see that as a step in the right direction, because there is a particular view about renewal,” he said, adding there was a selective acknowledgement of progress.
The public’s attitudes, he added, are shaped less by the ANC’s internal reforms and more by lived experiences of service delivery; an area he admitted remains a challenge.
“What we should be doing is to do what will correct the attitude of society towards us. If we are not succeeding in that, we are not going to get any change. What is the problem? The issue is the service delivery,” Mantashe said.
He challenged the media’s portrayal of certain provinces, using the North West as an example.
“North West got 59% support in the general elections… but you continue treating it as a stepchild. Why do you do that?” he asked.
He downplayed internal electioneering efforts, urging patience and cautioning against premature leadership jockeying.
“People will put their names in their heads. They want to be elected. But that is premature at this point in time. The time for that will come,” he said.
Mantashe confirmed he would not seek re-election.
“I’m old. I’m more than 70 years old. So, I’m a retiree,” he said.
He also rejected suggestions that the ANC’s National Executive Committee had ordered leaders with dual membership in the ANC and the South African Communist Party to choose sides after the SACP signalled it would contest elections independently.
“No, the NEC has not taken that decision. That is the decision in your head,” he said.
Pressed on his stance ahead of the 2026 elections, Mantashe said: “I will vote for the ANC. I’m the National Chairperson of the ANC.”
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