ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile and deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane are pushing back against moves to disband the party's KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng structures as the national executive committee (NEC) continues to debate the matter.
In separate interviews with the Sunday Times this week, the two leaders leaders said they would not support a call to disband the provincial executive committees (PECs), which failed to deliver victory in their provinces in the May elections.
Plans to disband the two structures were at an advanced stage when the national working committee met recently. However, the move was thwarted by party president Cyril Ramaphosa.
Mashatile and Mokonyane agree that it would be self-defeating to disband the PECs while the party attempts to rebuild after its devastating election results.
Mashatile said the NEC was likely to opt to “reinforce” the PECs by roping in strong local leaders in each of the provinces.
“I would use the word reinforce because disbanding structures is not a solution that I favour,” said Mashatile.
He said the ANC could look to party leaders with no ambitions for provincial leadership as reinforcements in the troubled provinces.
Mokonyane said the NEC should exhaust all its options before any disbandment.
“When you renew, you don't bring a big rubbish bin. You look at what do you have, is it able to take you through this transition? And that's what we must do with KZN. We've not done that... We can come back, we will disband when all else has failed, not the first step,” she said.
Mokonyane said the NEC could not deny its own responsibility for the election decline.
“Remember, these elections were national elections. It was our president who was the face of the campaign. It was all of us who went to Siyanqoba. So, what were we doing at the Siyanqoba [rally] if we are going to blame other leaders?”
Mokonyane said the national working committee would still meet with the two provinces to discuss turnaround strategies to regain the party's base as it prepares for the local government elections in 2026.
The provinces stand accused of having failed to mobilise party structures in the build-up to the national elections.
The ANC's elections report, which was due to be tabled at the NEC this weekend, was expected to point to poor campaigning in Gauteng, while in KwaZulu-Natal tensions between party leaders and stakeholders — including the Zulu monarch and churches — would be flagged as part of the problem.
The NEC deployed Zweli Mkhize and Mike Mabuyakhulu to help the provincial leadership with strategies and campaigning. But these two leaders — and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma — were rejected by the provincial leadership, Mashatile said.
“That's what we must fix, and my sense is that our comrades will accept that people are not coming to take away their positions, they are coming to reinforce them. In other words, we are adding more energy and capacity.”
Mashatile said this was the best option possible for the ANC, which will soon have to start thinking about the local government elections.
“We are likely to go that route as the NEC, to say let's go and assess and see how we assist, reinforce and increase capacity.
“Because I think it's important going forward to be able to help... We want these provincial leaders to help rebuild the branches.
“So, the renewal is starting right from the bottom at branches that are active, that are focused on dealing with issues, and then the leadership that is able to pull that together.”
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