ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has warned internal critics that he will not be “blackmailed” before the 2027 ANC elective conference, as tension over succession politics intensify in the party.
Mbalula addressed ANC members during his closing remarks at the West Rand regional conference, which elected new leadership yesterday.
“A lot of people say Mbalula is supporting these people and they will never support him. I support the ANC. I don’t care about your support,” Mbalula told delegates.
“I’m a secretary-general. I was elected. I’m leading even those who didn’t elect me and I must show them the way. I won’t be blackmailed because 2027 is coming. We will know when we get there.”
William Matsheke was elected chairperson, Lucky Sele deputy chairperson, Mkhuseli Jokazi regional secretary, Mcebisi Moyeni deputy regional secretary and Nozuko Best regional treasurer.
The ANC West Rand regional conference was delayed by court interdicts filed by party members who felt that Mbalula was interfering in the conference to ensure that the current leadership emerged victorious.
While the ANC has not officially opened a succession debate, several figures have been mentioned as possible contenders, among them Mbalula, current deputy president Paul Mashatile and businessperson Patrice Motsepe.
Mbalula has previously warned that he would suppress any succession debate, saying the party’s focus should be on winning the 2026 local government elections after its weaker performance in the 2024 general elections, which saw it dip below the 50% mark needed to govern outright.
Mbalula told delegates on Tuesday that those who saw leadership in the ANC as a pathway to personal enrichment had no place in the party.
The ANC had not survived 114 years by pursuing tenders and accumulating wealth, he said. Instead, it survived because generations of cadres had been willing to sacrifice everything for the cause of liberation. He emphasised that the former liberation movement must return to that principle.
Mbalula said the party was under no illusion that the ANC must transform itself or risk becoming a footnote in history.
“Our movement has been battered by scandals that erode public trust,” he said. “Corruption has eaten away at our moral authority. Factionalism has diverted our energies from the people’s business to internal power struggles.
“In too many of our branches, meetings have become battlegrounds for tender disputes rather than platforms for community service. This must end if we are to decisively tackle the existential crisis we face.”
The ANC, Mbalula said, must be uncompromising against corruption. “Anyone who used their position in the ANC to enrich themselves at the expense of the people has betrayed the memory of every comrade who sacrificed for this movement.”
The party should deal with corruption without fear or favour. Renewal of the ANC meant revitalising its branches. “When branches are strong, the ANC is strong. When branches are weak, infiltrated by opportunists and careerists, the entire movement suffers.
“Every branch must become a centre of community activism, not a vehicle for accessing government resources. We must recruit members who join because they believe in our vision, not because they see an opportunity for self-advancement.”
Speaking at the West Rand regional conference, the ANC secretary-general defended his leadership, rejected factional pressure and called for an end to corruption, factionalism and ‘tender politics’ in the party
