ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has sent a stern warning to party members to stop discussing the 2027 succession debate or associating with any campaign.
Mbalula has come out guns blazing, threatening disciplinary action, after videos emerged over the weekend showing T-shirts being printed bearing ‘PM27’, a campaign being associated with billionaire Patrice Motsepe.
Though Motsepe has publicly said he would not be contesting for the ANC presidency, lobbyists have been hard at work running his potential campaign ahead of the 2027 national conference.
The printing of T-shirts for Motsepe’s campaign appears to have angered Mbalula, who on Wednesday shot off a letter to the ANC national executive committee (NEC) members, provincial secretaries, the party’s leagues and regions.
In the letter dated January 21, Mbalula reminds party structures that the NEC took a decision to put all 2027 leadership debates in abeyance at least until after the local government elections scheduled for later this year.
Mbalula has warned of severe consequences should the public debates on contestation continue and specifically mentioned the so-called Motsepe campaign.
“This serves as a reminder that the NEC took a decision which was communicated to all provinces, that no ANC structure or member should engage in leadership contestations ahead of the ANC national conference to be held in 2027,” wrote Mbalula.
“In this regard, we caution any ANC member to disassociate themselves with the production and distribution of the ‘PM’ T-shirt or its associated leadership campaigns.”
Mbalula has taken issue with the purported Motsepe campaign, having publicly denounced it several times.
At the party’s national general council (NGC) in December, Mbalula called out to Motsepe to sit down after ANC members had gathered around to greet him.
The party goes to its national conference in December 2027, where delegates will elect Cyril Ramaphosa’s successor along with the rest of the national officials as well as the NEC.
So far the top contenders for the ANC president position are Mbalula, deputy president Paul Mashatile, Motsepe as well as National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza.
But the party has put a gag order on all national conference discussions, arguing they would deter the party from the elections as well as rebuilding the organisation and implementing the national transformation programmes that are aimed, according to Mbalula, at raising the living conditions of all South Africans as well as restoring the people’s confidence in the ANC.
Mbalula said anyone who sought to go against this and insists on discussing leadership will essentially be declared an enemy.
“Therefore, anyone who engages in acts that contradict this decision by the NEC is to be considered an opponent to the revolution, as such would be putting their personal leadership ambitions ahead of the interests of the people as well as those of the organisation,” he said in the letter.
“The NEC decision in this regard further stipulated that at an appropriate time, such leadership contestations will be allowed, as to be communicated by the secretary-general on the express mandate of the NEC.”
Mbalula said that going forward he would take disciplinary action against “anyone who violates the NEC directive in this regard”.
Mbalula sent this letter as a song emerged, which essentially lobbies for him to take over as party president. He has since reposted the song, which he described as “catchy” on X (formerly Twitter), distancing himself from it.
“I will always appreciate creative and as much as this is a catchy tune, I have not sanctioned it,” he posted on the social platform.
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