ANC secretary-general, Comrade Fikile Mbalula during the media briefing on 20 July 2024. Picture: Gallo Images/Ziyaad Douglas
African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has warned that any party member publicly discussing intentions to contest leadership positions ahead of the 2027 elective conference will face disciplinary action.
Mbalula addressed the media regarding the outcomes of the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Tuesday at Luthuli House in Johannesburg.
The ANC secretary-general confirmed that the NEC has ruled that no member may engage in leadership contestation, lobbying, or self-promotion related to party positions in the lead-up to the 2027 national elective conference.
Such activities will only be permitted during a period that will be specified and announced by the secretary-general.
“Any member violating this directive by engaging in unauthorised leadership contestation will face disciplinary action, as such behaviour detracts from the critical work of implementing national conference resolutions and our electoral manifesto.
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“The NEC was firm that the ANC must not be drawn into premature leadership discussions,” Mbalula said on Tuesday.
He explained that the ANC wants to prevent escalating the succession debate within the party, following Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s comments in an interview expressing his willingness to accept nominations from branches to succeed President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“In terms of the ANC rules now, we don’t want that. No leader should be answering such questions,” the ANC secretary-general said.
He acknowledged that Mashatile made his remarks prior to the NEC resolution.
The ANC, according to Mbalula, should prioritise winning the 2026 local government elections and implementing a program of action to rebuild the party.
“We have lost [an outright] majority yet the biggest priority of the ANC is who becomes a leader. No, we can’t allow that. We have drawn the line; [if] you speak [about conferences], you will see. We [will] attend to you,” he continued.
“[It’s] not that people in the ANC are not discussing this matter [because] they are, the critical question is that we must open a discussion at the right time.”
The NEC also decided that the electoral committee, headed by former President Kgalema Motlanthe, would be responsible for assessing the influence of money in leadership elections.
Mbalula announced that the ANC will form a committee to investigate the leaks of information from the NEC and National Working Committee (NWC) to journalists and external parties.
“This permanent committee will conduct forensic audits of information leaks by NEC and NWC members involving internal ANC decisions and discussions,” he told reporters.
The ANC secretary-general denied that the party was clamping down on leaks.
“We are not [clamping down on leaks]. We are defending the integrity of the ANC. It is wrong for a faceless source, constipated with factionalism… to distort the ANC at the highest level of the NEC,” Mbalula said.
“They think in their minds that we will not find them because there’s Popi Act [but] we will teach them.”
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He cited the recent leak of NEC documents over the weekend as an example, saying that such actions led to the perception that their contents represented final decisions.
“When we give people documents in the meeting, those documents are subjected to discussion, they are not resolutions.”
Mbalula emphasised that the ANC cannot be held responsible for these leaks to the media.
“It’s not undermining freedom of the press, what we are doing has got nothing to do with the press. It has got something to do with people undermining the communication strategy of the ANC and the standing of the ANC in society by way of miscommunication, distorting decisions of the ANC,” he continued.
Mbalula noted that the NEC recognised a decline in ANC membership, attributing this to “deserters and disruptors”.
As part of the ANC’s renewal program, all members must submit a motivation letter explaining why they should be reaccepted as returning members or accepted as new members in the party’s branches.
“The ANC process in terms of membership constitutionally allows for membership lapse.
“So we saying that it should not just be automatic that after the lapse of membership, you just come back without undergoing a process.
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“You can write or you can be interviewed because some people can’t write. [You will have to motivate] why you think it’s important for you to continue to be a member of the ANC,” he said.
The ANC secretary-general emphasised that the motivational letter requirement was “not a punishment in any way”.
He added that joining the ANC does not take place at Luthuli House.
“People are not recruited from here.”
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