Tensions are threatening to unravel the unity of the ANC’s 64-member KwaZulu-Natal provincial task team (PTT), a structure made up of all major factions and charged with rebuilding the party after its dismal 17% showing in the 2024 general election.
This week, a meeting collapsed amid fierce disagreements over corruption allegations and internal power struggles — raising fears the party’s renewal project may be dead in the water.
Those present said supporters of the two MECs facing graft allegations came out “guns blazing”, warning that if action is taken against them, similar steps must be taken against all other leaders accused of corruption.
“It’s not just about two people,” said one insider. “If you open that door, you’ll have to walk through it with half the task team.”
At the heart of the crisis are MECs Sipho Hlomuka and Nomagugu Simelane, whose continued presence in the provincial cabinet has sparked outrage from opposition parties and civil society.
Yet premier Thami Ntuli, leading an IFP that holds just 18% of the vote, is politically constrained. The government of provincial unity (GPU) — a delicate coalition of the IFP, the ANC, the DA and the National Freedom Party — offers no single party a majority.
[The MK Party’s] exclusion from the government has created a legitimacy vacuum that could collapse the coalition if [the situation is] not carefully managed
— Prof Musa Xulu
Any unilateral action by Ntuli, such as dismissing ANC MECs, could fracture the coalition and trigger its collapse, potentially handing power to the MK Party, which won a commanding 45% of the provincial vote.
Though Ntuli initially promised swift action, he has so far not acted decisively. It is widely believed he is waiting for the ANC to take the lead — either by recalling the two MECs or replacing them with other ANC deployees.
The premier has confirmed that both MECs submitted written representations, which are now under review by his office and the provincial legal unit. He has publicly stated that any action will be guided by constitutional principles of fairness and due process.
“For now, it would be quite early to cross the bridge before I reach it,” Ntuli said recently. “I am happy they responded, and we are busy considering the reports. But for now I cannot say there is any reason for me to take action against any MEC.”
Bongani Gina, Ntuli’s spokesperson, could not be reached for comment on Friday.
The ANC’s KwaZulu-Natal PTT was formed in February 2025 to heal factional wounds and restore public trust. It was meant to steer the ANC through a period of renewal after the disbandment of its provincial executive committee. But it has since been plagued by infighting, rivalries and competing visions for the party’s future.
ANC KwaZulu-Natal co-ordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu denied the PTT was imploding, telling the Sunday Times the ANC continued to hold meetings with other GPU partners, “not necessarily on this matter, but on many others”.
On the issue of the MECs, Mabuyakhulu said: “The ANC has its own internal measures to deal with these matters, and these are not discussed in the media.” He confirmed that the two MECs have presented their sides of the story to the ANC and added: “These matters must go into their respective spaces.”
The MK Party has seized the moment. On Friday, it marched through Durban demanding the downfall of the GPU and the urgent dismissal of Hlomuka and Simelane, along with other leaders facing graft allegations.
MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela dismissed the MECs’ “honourable” titles as undeserved, saying: “That title is meant to uphold integrity. It cannot be inherited and stained through corruption.”
Political analyst and cultural expert Prof Musa Xulu warned that the MK Party’s aggressive posture poses a serious threat to the GPU’s survival. “The MK Party is not just a vocal opposition — it’s the largest party in the province,” he said. “Its exclusion from the government has created a legitimacy vacuum that could collapse the coalition if [the situation is] not carefully managed.”
Xulu added that unless the ANC was able to recall the two MECs, Ntuli would face pressure to act on his own. “I don’t expect the premier to act unless the ANC itself acts. Any unilateral move could bring about his own downfall.”
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