ANC leaders given a week to reconfigure Gauteng and KZN

As the African National Congress (ANC) announces a “reconfiguration” of its leadership structures in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, an expert has warned it may not guarantee success.

In KwaZulu-Natal, the ANC lost its majority in last year’s national and provincial elections. Gauteng’s voter support fell to 35%.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula on Monday formally announced the decision to “reconfigure” the leadership in the provinces, taken by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) after “robust” and fervent debate.

The NEC met in Boksburg over the weekend to decide what to do about its two underperforming provincial executive committees (PECs). On the table were proposals to dissolve the two PECs and start anew, provide additional reinforcements, or maintain the existing provincial leadership structures.

Mbalula clarified that reconfiguration is a combination of both dissolving and reinforcing, “and choosing the path of uniting our organisation”.

“The two provinces needed urgent action. The NEC agreed that not taking action would not be appropriate.

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Who will be the new ANC leaders in Gauteng and KZN?

The reconfiguration means new people may be appointed to the top five leadership positions in the two provinces.

“The national officials must bring a proposal on the reconfiguration of the leadership of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng to the National Working Committee within a week.

“Whatever action is taken should not interfere in the work of government in the two provinces,” Mbalula said.

What about Lesufi?

Mbalula said government functions, including Gauteng Provincial Chairperson Panyaza Lesufi’s position as premier of the province, would not be changed.

“Government will not be tampered with. It will remain the way it is. We are going to tamper with the ANC leadership within the framework of the ANC constitution.”

‘We are totally decimated in KZN’

He said all ANC provinces needed extra attention from the mother body but Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are important provinces for the party because of their strategic locations.

“These are very important provinces of the movement that we must safeguard and defend. We must fight to win them back.”

“The state of the organisation in all provinces requires action.

“We had to take a deep dive to say; ‘how do we arrest the possibility of a total demise?’ In KZN, you can use the term decimation. We are totally decimated.”

Mbalula said the decision to reconfigure was not an easy one to make and many members of the NEC had presented their views on the matter. At the end of the day, it was agreed that the two provinces should be reconfigured.

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Back to its former glory?

Political analyst from the University of South Africa (Unisa), Sanet Solomon, said despite the ANC’s interventions in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, it is going to be difficult for the party in those provinces to get back to their former “glory”.

“It is unlikely that the ANC in Gauteng and KZN would ever regain their former glory as the dynamics in these provinces have changed indefinitely,” Solomon said.

She said Gauteng residents now have a broader spectrum of political options to choose from and, given the ANC’s past inefficiency in the province, “it is unlikely that they would be getting a majority of support in the coming years”.

Dire situation in KZN

Solomon said the situation was even worse in KwaZulu-Natal because there are no notable leaders that can help the party navigate the current political challenges in that province.

“Moreover, those present in the province lack the ability to adapt to the contextual issues in the province and build lasting relationships with traditional leaders and local communities, which ultimately influence the decision-making process in the province.”

Political analyst Dr George Tsibani said any change must be genuine and not be serving factions.

“Rebooting leadership could prevent election losses and regain control. However, without clear motivations, concerns linger. The ANC NEC’s reconfiguration efforts must prioritise genuine change over subjective interests,” Tsibani said.

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The fate of the ANC ‘hangs in the balance’

He said a merit-based roadmap was needed to ensure any future success.

“The party must prioritise its interests over individual ambitions, especially with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s tenure ending in 2027 and as state president in 2029. The fate of the ANC and its ability to deliver meaningful change hangs in the balance.”

Additional reporting by Eric Mthobeli Naki, Clive Ndou, and Molefe Seeletsa

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