
The provincial executive committees (PEC) of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng have survived the axe – at least for a week.
The party’s Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula announced on Monday (January 20) that the national executive committee (NEC) meeting over the weekend decided that the party’s top seven officials will have to come up with a framework on how to reconfigure the PECs of the two key provinces.
Panyaza Lesufi and Siboniso Duma lead the two ANC provinces as Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal chairpersons, respectively.
Mbalula said the framework would be presented to the NWC (National Working Committee) – the party’s operational arms – within a week. This has effectively given the two structures some days before their fate is sealed.
There were expectations that they would be disbanded.
“The national officials (top seven) must bring a framework on the reconfiguration of the leadership of KZN and Gauteng to the NWC within a week period. Whatever action is taken should not interfere with the work of government in the two provinces,” Mbulula told a press conference in Johannesburg.
Explaining the decision behind acting against Gauteng, Mbalula said it was because they were drubbed at the election on May 29 last year. He said in KwaZulu-Natal the ANC was even “decimated” to 17 percent.
Mbalula denied that these two provinces were being targeted as part of factions within the ANC who are positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 national elective conference where new national leaders would be elected.
Mbalula is seen as the leader of a faction that wants him to replace President Cyril Ramaphosa when his second term ends in 2027. That group is said to have pushed for the disbandment of the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal ANC PECs.
The other faction is believed to be led by ANC Deputy President Paul Mashatile, a presidential front runner whose faction opposed the dissolution.
Providing further details on the reconfirmation, Mbalula said once a decision has been taken, they would go to all regions of the two provinces to explain it.
“Within a week, meaning from today up until Sunday, we will meet, the officials give details of the configuration and then thereafter go to the NWC which will be on Monday, this coming Monday. And thereafter, we will deploy NEC members to all the regions in the two provinces to explain and present a decision on reconfiguration, how the provinces are reconfigured,” he said.
Referring to the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, which tried to downplay the process by announcing that it would hold the provincial rally on February 2 to celebrate the 113th birthday of the party in Pietermaritzburg, Mbalula said it is advisable that all planned rallies were halted until the reconfiguration matter is finalised.
“I wish to say to everybody, including ANC members, they must wait for reconfiguration to be finalised as agreed by the NEC and then we will present to the structures of the organisation next week, during the week, from Tuesday, we will be on the ground. We will start first with the PECs and all of that, we will write to them to inform them about this decision.
“Whether rallies must stop and all of that, we have not applied our mind to that, but a decision has now been taken. So, it could be advisable that rallies must wait a bit up until reconfiguration is finalised. But that decision is not yet taken, but it would be advisable that in this week that everything must come to a standstill,” he warned.