ANC secretary general Mbalula and chairperson of the Gauteng ANC Lesufi. Image: Africa Confidential.
(The Post News)– Gauteng Premier and ANC provincial chairperson Panyaza Lesufi will retain his position, according to an announcement by African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula. The announcement was made on Monday following a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Boksburg over the weekend.
Mbalula emphasised that the ongoing reconfiguration of the ANC leadership in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is part of efforts to strengthen the party’s leadership in the two provinces, which he described as underperforming.
“The state of the organisation in all provinces requires urgent action,” Mbalula stated, pointing out the party’s challenges, particularly in KZN. He described the situation in KZN as a state of “decimation,” noting the party had to take decisive measures to avert further decline.
The ANC’s constitution, Mbalula explained, will guide this reconfiguration. He assured that the changes would not interfere with government structures or leadership roles. This includes Lesufi’s position as Gauteng Premier, which will remain intact. Mbalula explained that the government will not be interfered with; instead, they are going to interfere with ANC leadership within the limits of the ANC’s constitution.
The reconfiguration is expected to focus on changes to the top five leadership positions in both Gauteng and KZN. National officials will bring forward a proposal regarding these changes to ensure the party’s leadership aligns with its goals and addresses ongoing challenges in the provinces. This move highlights the ANC’s resolve to address internal challenges and strengthen its political influence as the party prepares for future electoral battles.
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula announced that a proposal on the reconfiguration of the party’s leadership in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) will be presented to the National Working Committee within a week. This decision, Mbalula emphasised, was not taken lightly and follows extensive consultations within the party’s NEC. Meanwhile, it is rumoured that deputy president Paul Mashatile wants to be president while urging Lesufi to be his deputy.
Given that the two impacted provinces lost the May 2024 election and that the party lost its majority of seats in parliament, bringing it down to just 41% and forcing it to rely on other parties to form a government, one question that remains unanswered in the recently adopted stance of reconfiguration—which is thought to have been posed by the leadership of both Gauteng and KZN—is about the reconfiguration of or action against the national leadership.
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