Six-day NEC expected to dissect ANC's poor showing at the polls

The ANC is expected to discuss its poor showing in the 2024 national and provincial elections when its national executive committee meets this weekend for the first time since the polls.

For the first since the advent of democracy, the ruling party dipped below 50%, requiring the help of other political parties to form a government. Instead of a minority coalition with a specific party such as the DA or the EFF, the ANC opted for a government of national unity (GNU) which now comprises more than 10 political parties.

Head of elections Mdumiseni Ntuli is expected to present a report detailing how and what led to the ANC garnering only 40% at the polls.

The report is expected to make recommendations on how the party can recover in time for the 2026 local government elections. According to insiders, the NEC will also investigate whether executive committees of poor-performing provinces such as KZN should be dissolved.

There was a push immediately after the elections for the KZN provincial executive committee to be dissolved after the party was hammered.

However, in an interview with TimesLIVE, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula dismissed this, saying people who don’t want to be in the ANC have now left.

“There are very few ‘sleepers’ in KwaZulu-Natal. People were destined to leave, one way or the other. [Some] left with JZ [Jacob Zuma] and others have been dismissed in terms of disciplinary action, and all of that,” he previously said. 

He said the ANC in KZN is now clean, adding that there was no need to be “sniffer dogs” who would run a negative campaign against others or disband structures.

The ANC lost its position as the governing party in the province, dropping dramatically from 55.47% support to 17.62%. It was overtaken by the Zuma-led uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), which fell just 4% short of a majority.

This would also be the first NEC since President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed his executive that includes cabinet members from other political parties. This NEC is expected to discuss the decision by the national disciplinary committee to expel former president Jacob Zuma after the formation of the MK Party.

TimesLIVE reported on Wednesday that the party's national working committee had expressed annoyance with its allies in the SACP after its general secretaries' public utterances calling out the ANC for having gone into a GNU with the DA and the FF Plus. 

According to insiders who attended the meeting, ANC leaders believed the SACP should address the NEC to account for its public criticism of the ANC.

Mapaila tore into the ANC during the Nehawu national political school earlier this month, saying it had got into bed with neoliberal and colonial parties.

Mapaila said this was because the dominant faction in the ANC was now neoliberal and in favour of austerity measures.

The party’s leadership would meet for six days starting on Thursday, incorporating the lekgotla attended by representatives from provinces and its deployees such as ministers, deputy ministers, premiers and executive mayors.

“The objective of the NEC lekgotla is to consolidate and refine action plans based on the six priorities of our 2024 election manifesto. They seek to drive inclusive growth and job creation, reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living; as well as to build a capable, ethical and developmental state,” said the ANC spokesperson Zuko Godlimpi.

“Overall, the NEC meeting and NEC lekgotla will provide comprehensive action plans to address the issues to be discussed. There will be clear directives to structures of the organisation and government departments on a strengthened strategy to improving service delivery and governance, as well as enhanced strategies for economic growth and social development.”