The African National Congress (ANC) has reaffirmed its support for President Cyril Ramaphosa, dismissing calls for him to resign following the party’s significant decline in last week’s Local Government Elections.
The party’s position emerged on the sidelines of its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, held at the Birchwood Conference Centre in Boksburg on Thursday, where senior leaders are assessing the ANC’s disappointing electoral performance.
ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said there was no indication that Ramaphosa should step down, pointing to his active role in leading the party’s election campaign.
“The President led and ran this campaign. Some of you were travelling with us, criss-crossing the country,” she said.
“You noted how he led the campaign, and there is no sense in which the President should be resigning.”
However, Bhengu-Motsiri acknowledged that the possible collective resignation of the entire NEC could feature in discussions during the party’s broader election assessment.
“The collective resignation of the entire National Executive Committee, I’m certain that is part of the discussion that is going to be taking place, not so much today, but particularly when the election assessment is done,” she said.
The NEC meeting comes at a critical juncture for the governing party, which has suffered another electoral setback, losing control of several municipalities and facing the prospect of coalition arrangements in councils where it no longer holds a majority.
Party leaders are also expected to deliberate on coalition negotiations, the implications of the election results and strategies to rebuild the ANC’s declining support ahead of future electoral contests.
The party’s poor electoral performance has intensified pressure on its leadership, with former President Thabo Mbeki among those calling for greater accountability and leadership changes in the wake of the results.
The outcome of the NEC’s deliberations and the subsequent election assessment is expected to shape discussions about the ANC’s leadership, organisational renewal and political direction.
