ANC Summons KZN Officials Over Poor Election Performance

The African National Congress (ANC) KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provincial executive committee (PEC) has been summoned to Luthuli House, the party’s headquarters in Johannesburg, following its disappointing performance in the May 2024 general elections.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula sent a letter inviting the entire PEC to a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC), which will take place tomorrow afternoon at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg.

Possible Disbandment and Interim Structure

It is believed that the meeting will address consequences for KZN’s underperformance, with insiders suggesting that the PEC will be disbanded, and an interim structure will be put in place as punishment.

One source revealed, “This issue has been hanging for long, they will go. We were disappointed by our showing in KZN.”

The KZN province was the only ANC-governed region where the party was completely ousted, with the newly formed MK party taking a commanding lead in the May election results.

The decision to summon the PEC to the NWC is unprecedented, as it is rare for the national party to call an entire provincial leadership to face such scrutiny.

The NWC, which is responsible for the day-to-day functioning of the party, is a powerful structure, though its decisions must still be ratified by the National Executive Committee (NEC). Despite this, it is unusual for the NEC to alter decisions made by the NWC.

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The tension around KZN’s performance became evident when Mtolo, along with Gauteng chair Panyaza Lesufi, was previously summoned to Luthuli House last month. At that time, it was feared that former president Jacob Zuma could use the situation to recruit Mtolo to his new uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, a development that the ANC leadership wished to avoid.

However, it seems that the disbandment of the KZN PEC is now set to be enforced, with sources from the NEC indicating that this decision will be carried out.

ANC KZN’s Surprising Election Results

In the May elections, the ANC was ousted from power in KZN by the MK party, which surprisingly secured 45.3% of the vote, while the ANC plummeted to a mere 17%.

This dramatic decline in support was compounded by the rise of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), which garnered 18.16%. MK’s victory, despite being a newly established party, marked a significant blow to the ANC’s grip on the province.

Following the elections, a coalition government was formed, with the IFP, ANC, DA, and National Freedom Party coming together in a “government of provincial unity,” leaving MK as the official opposition both provincially and nationally.

Independent political analyst Sandile Swana explained that the ANC’s poor performance in KZN can be traced back to a lack of trust in the party from the start. He noted that the ANC’s performance-based credibility, particularly under Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, helped it gain trust in the province. “You cannot be trusted without a track record,” Swana added.

The ANC’s recent struggles in KZN reflect broader dissatisfaction with the party’s performance across South Africa, with many citizens expressing frustration over its leadership and governance.

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