Ramaphosa Reportedly Considered Resigning As ANC Reels From Election Defeat

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa reportedly considered resigning from his position after the party suffered a devastating defeat in the 2026 local government elections, with sources claiming he believed leadership needed to take responsibility for the results.

The revelations come as the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC), the party's highest decision-making structure between conferences, prepares to assess its performance following a significant decline in voter support.

The party's national share dropped from 45.59% in the 2021 local government elections to approximately 30.81% in this year's polls. In KwaZulu-Natal, the ANC's support fell from 41.4% to 20.3%, while former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party secured approximately 34%.

According to a report by the Sunday Times, Ramaphosa raised the possibility of resigning as ANC president after the election results became clear.

Ramaphosa Reportedly Offered To Resign After ANC Election Collapse

A source quoted by the publication claimed Ramaphosa believed the party had suffered two electoral setbacks under his leadership and that of the current officials, making it necessary for consequences to follow.

Another insider alleged that the president indicated he would step down alone if the rest of the ANC's top seven leaders were unwilling to resign alongside him.

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However, the prospect of Ramaphosa leaving the ANC presidency reportedly raised concerns about the future of the government of national unity (GNU), which he currently leads.

One source suggested that his departure would make it impossible for him to continue heading the arrangement, potentially bringing the GNU to an end.

The source questioned who would continue supporting the coalition under those circumstances and whether the arrangement was delivering meaningful benefits to the ANC.

Ramaphosa was reportedly urged to remain calm while the party properly assessed its election performance before making major leadership decisions. The possibility of an early ANC elective conference was also raised.

Mbalula And Mokonyane Reject Calls For An Immediate Fall Guy

Despite the reported discussions around Ramaphosa's future, senior ANC leaders have cautioned against rushing into decisions about individual accountability.

Deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane said the party would first need to establish what went wrong rather than immediately looking for someone to blame.

“The ANC will have to first identify what has happened. Our own manifesto and our approach towards these elections were not about individual leaders of the ANC. It was about how we work together with communities to build and sustain an effective local government and grow the economy.”

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Secretary-general Fikile Mbalula also dismissed the idea of identifying a single person to take responsibility for the electoral outcome.

“Who’s the fall guy? There can’t be a fall guy. There’s no fall guy. A leadership analyses. I know there are people who are overzealous about this thing that the NEC must fall and all of that.

“Yes, the ANC can fall if branches of the ANC, two-thirds of them, call for a conference or anything of that sort. At the present moment, there is no such.”

Mbalula acknowledged that the party had anticipated a poor performance, revealing that internal polling had already indicated the scale of the challenge.

He said the ANC's own research had projected support of around 34%, adding that the party knew it was facing a difficult election and that the middle class had turned against it.

Mbalula described the outcome as a “catastrophic disaster”, although he said the party had expected an even worse result.

“We knew we were up against a mountain. We were shocked because it gave us a result. It shows the ANC steadily coming back.”

Malema Says ANC Should Not Protect Ramaphosa During Coalition Talks

The ANC president's position also became a talking point for Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema, who argued that the party should be prepared to let Ramaphosa go if coalition negotiations made his departure a condition.

“If the MK party puts the demand that Ramaphosa must go, the ANC must agree that Ramaphosa must go because we are in this mess because of him. You are losing your organisation because you are protecting an individual. He is gone.”

Malema suggested that the coalition discussions could create an opportunity for the MK Party, EFF, South African Communist Party (SACP) and ANC to work together and “reject enemy forces”.

Meanwhile, Mbalula said the election outcome had delivered a clear message that the ANC could not afford to ignore.

“We recognise their concerns. We will not question their judgement or explain away their decisions. We will confront the reasons why people who once saw the ANC as their political home have become disillusioned with our movement.”

He acknowledged that local government had failed many residents and that voters were justified in demanding better services.

“We cannot ask people to trust us just merely because of our history. It gives us a responsibility to serve, not an entitlement to govern. The ANC must earn the confidence of the people through what it does today and what it delivers tomorrow.

“We will accept this lesson with humility.”

ANC Insists It Still Holds Power As Coalition Negotiations Loom

Despite its weakened electoral position, Mbalula reminded South Africans that the ANC still leads the national government of unity, holds the presidency and controls key institutions of the state.

“That government serves every municipality in this country, all 257. Not according to how a community voted, but according to the constitution, which binds the national government to support local government everywhere and to secure basic services for every household.”

He said the party intended to use its position in national government to intervene in struggling municipalities and improve service delivery.

On coalition negotiations, Mbalula said no formal discussions

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had started, with the ANC leadership expected to meet to develop a strategy for engagements with other parties.

He insisted that service delivery would be central to any coalition arrangement and warned that the ANC would not rush into agreements simply to retain political positions.

“The ANC will not be in a hurry to get into coalitions. That is not the only option. There is also an option to sit in opposition.

“We will look at every municipality and see what options are before us, and that will be settled by the National Executive Committee.”

Mbalula also rejected suggestions that the party would plead for mayoral positions as it navigates the new political landscape.

“We’re not in the business of begging for a mayorship or any other position.”

He added: “It is people first.”