The ANC kicked off its 5th National General Council (NGC) in Boksburg on Monday, and in true ANC form, it’s been equal parts introspection and political peacocking.
The gathering, which ran from Monday to Thursday, drew close to 2,000 delegates to dissect the National Democratic Revolution amid talks of the ANC’s electoral decline.
What exactly is the NGC? Think of it as the ANC’s halftime huddle. It is held roughly halfway between national elections, and is meant to review the party’s performance, debate policies, and chart a course for the future. The next NGC, which will be an elective one where the party formally chooses its next top leadership, is scheduled for 2027.
Here are the highlights:
🔹Monday kicked off with Fikile Mbalula’s organisational report. “Time is not on our side,” the secretary-general said, tracing the party’s slide from 2016 metro losses to 2024’s “strategic setback”. He predicted the ANC can climb back above 50% national support in future elections (from just above 40% in the 2024 national elections).
🔹Mbalula noted Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are crucial for the ANC’s recovery. The two provinces together account for roughly 40% of all registered voters. In the 2024 general election, the ANC’s support collapsed in both.
🔹ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa called out his comrades for the lack of implementation of party policies. “ The lack of implementation of our decisions is a disease which we must rid our organisations of,” he said while delivering his political report on Monday.
Historically, this non-elective NGC is a sneak peek into party succession. Rumours about who might succeed Cyril Ramaphosa at the 2027 elective conference were circulating. But many of the biggest names are now publicly opting out.
Among the most notable withdrawals:
- Gwede Mantashe, ANC national chairperson, said he’s not an option because he’s too old. “I’m more than 70 years old, so I’m a retiree.” We’re glad he’s noticed, unlike other leaders!
- Fikile Mbalula, ANC Secretary-General, denied that he was positioning himself for the presidency, saying the NGC is about renewal and that leadership talks should wait until 2027.
- Thoko Didiza, Speaker of the National Assembly, followed Mbalula’s lead (despite rumours she has thrown her name into the ring), saying that media speculation about a potential replacement for Ramaphosa distracts from the party’s real task: rebuilding ahead of the 2026 local elections.
At least for the moment, ANC’s top-ranking leaders appear united in wanting to postpone any leadership showdown amid attempts to rescue their party from terminal decline.
