Renewal and rebuilding: ANC in KZN and Gauteng will cause Mbalula headaches

Questions have been raised on how the African National Congress (ANC) will deal with problematic provinces that performed badly at this year’s general elections.

This comes after the party’s Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula said the party will have to make certain decisions about some provinces to “build” them.

“It’s not disbandment; do not say I said I will disband provinces. Some provinces just need to be strengthened,” he said.

ALSO READ: ANC will struggle in KZN – experts

‘The ANC will come back’

Mbalula told those gathered at the meeting that the ANC would come back stronger after losing its majority in the national assembly and in some provincial legislatures.

“Comrades, we are going to build the ANC; it’s going to be strong, and we will come back,” he said.

The results of the national elections have pushed the ANC to form a government of national unity (GNU) with other parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA).

Problems with interventions in KZN and Gauteng

However, a political analyst from the University of South Africa (Unisa), Dirk Kotze told The Citizen on Monday that he believes that implementing new strategies in the ANC’s Gauteng structures will be difficult.

Kotze said the chairperson of the ANC in Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, has created the impression that the ANC did not perform badly in the provincial elections.

The party in Gauteng received 34% of the vote.

However, Lesufi has managed to compose a minority government and ensure that the ANC has influence in several municipalities it had lost in 2021.

“I do not think the ANC will have enough courage to say to Lesufi we have to intervene over your head.

“He (Lesufi) has created the impression that he is in a stronger position. If they act, it will be seen as criticism of his leadership,” Kotze said.

On the other hand, Kotze said KwaZulu-Natal will be another province that the ANC will try to revitalise.

KZN was once an ANC stronghold but dipped below 50% at the general elections this year.

However, some political analysts have blamed this on the emergence of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, among other issues.

Kotze said disbanding the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is a bad idea.

He said this could lead to ANC leaders jumping to the MK party.

“If they dissolve the ANC’s Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) it will push a lot of those people into the MK party.

“They (the ANC) are in a precarious situation. They have to do something because the ANC has collapsed in KwaZulu-Natal,” he said.

Since the election of President Cyril Ramaphosa into power as ANC president, there have been tensions between the province and its mother body.

Kotze said with this in mind, the ANC mother body was in a difficult position.

“Whatever they do, they are in a difficult position because it will be affirming that they treat KwaZulu-Natal differently to other provinces,” he said. 

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