Decision made on Free State ANC, but could there be a purge underway at Luthuli House?

There are no plans to disband or restructure the leadership of the ANC in the Free State province, despite ongoing challenges, but trouble is reportedly brewing at the party’s top structure.

This weekend, officials from the ANC’s national working committee (NWC) visited the Free State as part of efforts to strengthen the party’s structures and improve governance in the region.

The visit comes as the province faces increasing pressure to enhance service delivery and restore public confidence ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

In last year’s national and provincial elections, the ANC secured a narrow majority with 52.88% in the Free State.

This marked a significant drop from the 62.94% the party achieved in 2019.

Strengthening ANC structures in Free State

Speaking to the media ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s arrival at the Windmill Casino in Bloemfontein, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri emphasised that the NWC’s visit aims to reinforce party structures rather than dissolve them.

“It’s part of the renewal of the ANC. It’s part of the rebuilding of the ANC,” she said on Sunday.

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Bhengu-Motsiri dismissed any speculation about leadership changes in the province.

“This visit is not a visit about disbanding the provincial executive committee of the ANC.

“It is a visit by the organisation to have a look at the state of our structures and how we can reinforce the work that is being done.”

Currently, the ANC Free State’s provincial executive committee (PEC) consists of Mxolisi Dukwana as chairperson, Toto Ketso Makume as deputy chairperson, Polediso Hubert Motsoeneng as provincial secretary, Dibolelo Mahlatsi as deputy provincial Secretary, and Mathabo Leeto as provincial treasurer.

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[WATCH LIVE] ANC Spokesperson Cde Mahlengi Bhengu addresses the media ahead of today’s #ANCNWC #ANCRenewal https://t.co/ybnphcmlvH

— ANC – African National Congress (@MYANC) March 9, 2025

Bhengu-Motsiri further explained that the visit is also intended to assess governance and ensure efficient service delivery in the province.

“It is also to look at the state of governance in the province and how we can ensure that this province delivers services to our people, municipalities deliver services to our people at a faster pace given the challenges of service delivery that we have to deal with,” she said.

“There will be a focus on local government, municipality by municipality. What is the state of governance in that municipality? What is the state of service delivery in that municipality?”

ANC looking to address governance and service delivery in the Free State

Bhengu-Motsiri highlighted that the NWC would on Monday assess any factors that could undermine the ANC’s unity or governance standards in Free State.

“We would look at anything that undermines good governance in this province, whether it’s a municipality that is not well governed under the ANC, we will look at all of those issues.

“There is no dissolution, disbandment on the agenda by any stretch. It is really about reinforcing the province.”

Acknowledging concerns over the performance of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Bhengu-Motsiri stated that urgent discussions were needed to address its challenges.

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“It must preoccupy us and the conversations that we’re going to be having, particularly tomorrow when we present reports coming out of the five regions, including Mangaung where the metro is, and reports where we get to understand what are the things that are happening in the municipality that are threatening, that are risking the election manifesto implementation process.”

She stressed the need for “difficult decisions” to resolve governance issues for the benefit of Free State residents.

“I can’t stress more the fact that the ANC is focusing and they have set up a local government intervention task team because we are now unlocking all of these challenges that we’re experiencing,” she said.

“If it is that ANC deploys are in the wrong, the ANC is duty-bound to correct that for the sake of the people of the Free State.”

Mbalula to gun for ANC presidency?

The spotlight on the Free State has now shifted back to Luthuli House, the headquarters of the ANC, amid reports of a purge by a top official.

According to the Sunday Times, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula is facing allegations of leveraging his position to sideline certain party members.

This is purportedly part of a broader strategy to bolster his prospects for the ANC presidency ahead of the party’s 2027 national conference.

Speculation suggests that Mbalula’s push to dissolve the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) PECs is driven by political maneuvering.

It is believed that both provinces are reportedly aligned with Deputy President Paul Mashatile being Ramaphosa’s successor.

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