Senior ANC leaders are considering disbanding the KwaZulu-Natal provincial executive after the party's dismal showing at the polls.
The ANC in KZN was decimated by the newly launched MK Party and was even overtaken by the IFP in the province.
The ANC's share of the vote dropped dramatically from 54% in 2019 to 17%.
The MK Party, which is only eight months old, shocked many — including the ANC national executive committee (NEC) — by winning 45% of the vote in KZN and 14% nationally.
This means the MKP stands the best better chance of installing its premier in the province.
The dismal performance by the ANC has ignited conversation among senior party leaders around the possible dissolution of the provincial executive committee (PEC).
Several senior NEC leaders said the PEC led by Siboniso Duma and Bheki Mtolo had proved incapable of running such an important province.
Though the ANC leadership had accepted that it would not achieve an outright majority in the province, being overtaken by both the MKP and the IFP was unexpected.
Party leaders told the Sunday Times the poor showing at the national level, where the ANC barely made it over 40%, could be squarely attributed to the party's dismal performance in KZN.
“We knew we were going to do badly in KZN but not like this, this is shocking. We thought we would drop some numbers and get below 50% but for us to be relegated to number three is shocking and unexpected,” said one.
“The over 1-million votes that MK has should have been ours under normal circumstances.”
The ANC had no alternative but to immediately look into installing a task team as the current PEC could not lead the party into the 2026 local government elections.
“We have been rejected by KZN and something has to be done. We will have to disband that PEC because we knew we don't have structures there and now we clearly don't have leadership.
“You cannot not have both structure and leadership, it cannot work. We will disband and then install an interim task team because these guys cannot take us to the 2026 local government election, things will be worse.”
The NEC member said the task team would rope in people who once led the province and have a rapport with the traditional leadership, such as former provincial chair Mike Mabuyakhulu.
“You need that kind of leadership. Comrade Mike stepped aside long before the rule was implemented and said let me deal with my problem so that it doesn't taint the organisation. After his issues were resolved he came back and availed himself. That's true leadership.”
Another senior party member said the actions of both Mtolo and Duma had been horrific.
The mic-grabbing incident by Duma in front of King Misuzulu kaZwelithini was seen as the straw that broke the camel’s back and contributed to the party's punishment at the polls.
“There's no leadership there, those guys won't save us. We have to intervene. We were already in trouble, being rejected by our people, and then this one goes and grabs a mic from [Thulasizwe] Buthelezi at such a big event in front of the king. What did he expect to happen? That people will smile? So we have to zoom into that leadership.”
The ANC in the province was weak and would only come alive when President Cyril Ramaphosa visited.
“They are not rooted in communities. They wanted us to hold their hand throughout and it's impossible, we had other provinces. We visited that province so many times because we realised we have a problem there.”
But another NEC member said if the ANC was to take a decision to punish the PEC in KZN, it would also have to act against the NEC.
“Anywhere where there is a crisis you don't deepen the crisis, you must analyse and then, based on analysis, say where are the weaknesses.
“But remember this time the impact is across the board, so who do you discipline, who do you leave? If you discipline KZN and then you discipline Gauteng, what about us in the NEC because we also lost, we are below 50%. So where will the organisation be? If there's consequences they will have to cut across and what does that mean and where will the party be when that happens?”
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