Panyaza Lesufi and Jacob Zuma plotting to oust Ramaphosa?

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has rubbished claims that former president Jacob Zuma is conspiring with Gauteng Premier and provincial ANC chairperson Panyaza Lesufi to remove Cyril Ramaphosa as ANC president.

The claims surfaced on social media this week and suggested a fightback against “President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government of national unity (GNU)” is in full force.

It alleged Lesufi had met with Zuma to plan the collapse of the GNU, and that an ANC NEC meeting during the first few days of 2025 could see a push for Ramaphosa to be booted out.

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The claims come as Lesufi and the rest of his provincial executive committee (PEC) face disbandment for the ANC’s poor election performance in Gauteng.

The ANC’s national working committee (NWC) had in early December met with the PECs of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal to discuss their dismal performances.

MK party denies plot to oust Ramaphosa

However, MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela dismissed allegations of “clandestine meetings” between his party and ANC leaders.

“There was no meeting between Zuma and Panayaza Lesufi. This is nonsense,” he said, arguing that such suggestions had no substance.

Despite this, Ndhlela said it is obvious that some in the ANC are unhappy with Ramaphosa’s leadership.

“Ramaphosa is a liability to the ANC, that is clear, and many of the party members do not want him. We know because we sit with some of them in Parliament.”

Ndhlela said the MK party would never consider being part of the GNU in its current form.

“That would be a sellout position, and we do not want to repeat what happened in 1994.”

However, he said he believes the MK party enjoys enough support to one day reach the Union Buildings.

“We are challenging the election results in court, and we know that many South Africans are behind us,” he said.

ANC responds to claims

Gauteng ANC spokesperson Lesego Makhubela also labelled the claims as malicious and untrue.

“Must we, every time faceless and malicious people who are hell-bent on destroying the ANC with their unsavoury statements, be required to comment?”

Despite a seemingly tense relationship between Lesufi and Luthuli House, Makhubela said the ANC Gauteng chairperson has a good relationship with Ramaphosa.

Both the national ANC and Lesufi’s spokesperson Sizwe Pamala said they would not comment on the allegations.

ANC National General Council will become a battlefield

Political analyst Ntsikelelo Breakfast told The Citizen that a faction in the ANC is not happy with Ramaphosa’s leadership, which could lead to bruising battles ahead.

“There have been people who have broken ranks and are speaking publicly about the GNU, which is a fact.”

He said alliance partners, like the South African Communist Party (SACP), saw the GNU as a sellout project driven by Ramaphosa.

“There will be a National General Council (NGC) later this year. That NGC will become a proxy war for who will be replacing Cyril, and at the heart of it will be the issue of the GNU,” he said.

Breakfast said the ANC NGC has the power to remove a sitting president of the party.

The NGC is a forum between national conferences where the party reviews its progress and challenges since the previous conference.

Ramaphosa’s detractors believe that he has avoided holding an NGC for a long time.

“We cannot rule out the possibility of a plan to dislodge Ramaphosa. People are unhappy about the GNU and what will make them content is to remove the person they think is pursuing this agenda,” Breakfast said.

He said that during the Covid-19 lockdown, the radical economic transformation (RET) faction of the ANC tried to use the NGC to get rid of Ramaphosa.

That plan failed because of several factors, including that party leaders could only meet online.

“There are provisions for the leadership to pass a vote of no confidence. The RET forces had planned to remove him through the NGC, but things did not go according to plan.”

Breakfast said that even if the plan to remove Ramaphosa is successful, it will not help the ANC at the next general election.

“I do not think the ANC will return to power.”

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