ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa shares a light moment with Deputy President Paul Mashatile after speaking to supporters at the ANC Election Manifesto at Moses Mabhida Stadium on February 24, 2024, in Durban. (Photo: Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images) 
“The President is going nowhere.”
That is Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s response to rumours of a plot within the ANC to oust President Cyril Ramaphosa.
This follows weeks of speculation in the lead-up to the party’s National General Council (NGC) in Gauteng from 8 to 11 December that Ramaphosa would be asked to resign as President.
Mashatile addressed the matter on Thursday, 4 December, during a session in Cape Town with parliamentary journalists.
Sunday World has reported on claims that the supposed plot to oust Ramaphosa is driven by deputy ministers Mondli Gungubele and Joe Phaahla, both of whom have denied the claims. Both were demoted from ministers to deputy ministers when the Government of National Unity was formed.
Ramaphosa reportedly addressed the issue directly in a recent National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
On Thursday, Mashatile said: “Yes, there was an issue that the President raised that there were some amongst NEC members [who] were plotting that he should be removed or resign.”
This had been discussed within the NEC and they decided that “such a move will not be supported”.
This echoed ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula’s remarks this week: “These are stories planted by forces from within and outside who are hell-bent on disintegrating the ANC.”
Mbalula said this was not the time to focus on leadership, but to look at renewal within the party.
The ANC’s next national elective conference is scheduled for 2027.
[WATCH] There is no leadership struggle in the ANC. We closing ranks and we call on all ANC members to follow suit and close ranks. These are stories planted by forces from within and outside who are hellbent on disintegrating the ANC. These dark forces are working overtime.… pic.twitter.com/gnRvcWk4tX
— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) December 1, 2025
On Thursday, Mashatile added: “The President has been elected… He will stay until he finishes his term. So that’s our position.”
The NGC takes place midway between the party’s elective conferences and reviews the implementation of the party’s resolutions.
According to the Sunday Times, the ANC is investigating the alleged plot to oust Ramaphosa. The ANC’s Youth League, Women’s League and Veterans League all issued statements condemning the supposed plot and supporting Ramaphosa.
“As we all know, the NGC will not really deal with issues of leadership at all; these are matters that will go to conference in 2027,” Mashatile said.
The current ANC leadership, he added, is working on “the challenges of local government” in the run-up to the next municipal elections, expected to be held in late 2026.
As ANC deputy president, Mashatile is in prime position to ascend to the presidency when Ramaphosa’s term ends in 2027, although a number of other candidates are likely to vie for the job. DM