Fikile Mbalula. (Photo: Luba Lesolle / Gallo Images) | Bheki Mtolo. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images) | Paul Mashatile. (Photo: Tebogo Letsie / Gallo Images / City Press) 
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is facing an unprecedented crisis following a dramatic decline in support during the 29 May general elections, which saw the party’s share of the vote drop from 54% in 2019 to 17%. Now, the ANC’s national leadership is contemplating extreme measures, including the possibility of disbanding the KZN leadership to rebuild and recover lost ground.
On Monday, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) met with the KZN ANC leadership led by chairperson Siboniso Duma and secretary Bheki Mtolo in Boksburg, Gauteng.
The provincial leadership came into power after a bruising and divided electoral conference in July 2022 and has faced one crisis after another.
Last week, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula summoned the entire Provincial Executive Committee to the meeting.
A day after Mbalula’s letter was sent, tension escalated when Mtolo said it was not only KZN that ought to be held responsible for the losses but also the national leadership, particularly Mbalula and party president Cyril Ramaphosa, as the ANC’s national support had dropped to 40%.
“We lost power during the elections. You would swear that the ANC lost power in KZN alone if you were not in the country and listening to ANC members, but the truth is that the ANC started losing power and support in 2009,” said Mtolo.
“While it was growing in KZN, it lost support in all other provinces. It lost support in 2009 except in KZN. In 2014, it lost support, except in KZN.”
On Monday, Mbalula dismissed Mtolo’s remarks. On whether the national leadership, specifically the National Executive Committee (NEC), which is the party’s highest decision-making body between conferences, would also take some level of responsibility, Mbalula told journalists:
“We have said that we take responsibility and that responsibility also means we have got a responsibility to find solutions in relation to how we recoup the lost ground and how we work with our provinces.
“The ANC NEC can’t disband, it must lead to the next conference.”
A ‘bloodbath’
The ANC in KZN was reduced from a commanding position of power to only 14 seats in the 80-seat provincial legislature. This forced it to become a weaker partner in the Government of Provincial Unity led by Premier Thami Ntuli of the IFP and comprising members of his party, the ANC, the DA and the National Freedom Party.
Speaking on the state of the party in KZN, Mbalula described the situation as a “bloodbath” as some branches had collapsed. He said there was no comeback from that.
“The situation is dire from an organisational point of view and we have said that we need to rebuild. We know that there are silly things that are being raised like, ‘It’s not only the two provinces that have lost, we have dropped in all the other provinces.’ That’s a silly debate because we did not just drop, we lost in the two provinces,” Mbalula said, referring to KZN and Gauteng.
Some in the ANC have linked its electoral decline to several issues, including members who’ve been doubling for the MK party. ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said those secretly doubling for the MK party can resign from the ANC.
“We have been made to believe that we are having people who are said to be working for the MK party. We are not in the business of … second-guessing our own leaders and members.
“We believe that those who don’t find pleasure in the ANC any more are free to go to whichever party. We fought for this democracy; we can’t be the ones that are subverting it in any way,” said Bhengu-Motsiri.
The MK party emerged as the biggest political party in KZN after the 29 May elections, winning 37 seats in the 80-seat KZN legislature, followed by the IFP, which won 15 seats, the ANC (14), the DA (11), the EFF (two) and the NFP (one).
Read more: First birthday present? MK party aims its sights at KwaZulu-Natal takeover
Mbalula acknowledged that the existence of the MK party had dented the performance of the ANC in the province.
“A responsible leadership does not fold, we did not go into these elections not knowing the challenges in KZN and Gauteng. We did [know]. We had a battle plan, we followed that plan, it had limitations both from a subjective and objective point of view.
“We have analysed that and we have made some conclusions in terms of shaping our perspective. In terms of that perspective, nobody disputes our analysis as leadership, so that must be accompanied by what needs to be done.
“And what needs to be done is a range of issues. You disband a structure, for instance, in order to strengthen it with capable people, if ever you come to a conclusion that there are weaknesses in terms of leadership, but at the same time you need to organise,” said Mbalula.
“There will be no holy cows. Decisions will be taken. The NEC will not be hamstrung by not taking action in a situation that is dire.”
Gag order
While the KZN ANC had been outspoken about its assessment of the party’s losses, it has now been instructed to refrain from making statements on the matter.
ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile is said to have told the provincial leadership to allow Mbalula to communicate the party’s position to its branches until the NEC makes a formal decision.
Mbalula warned KZN leaders that defying his directives would have serious consequences.
The NWC is now expected to meet with the Gauteng leadership, after which it will make recommendations regarding KZN and Gauteng. The final decision on the fate of the party’s leadership in the two provinces will be made by the NEC at its upcoming meeting, scheduled for next week. DM