Former deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe has firmly dismissed growing speculation that he could be positioned as a candidate to succeed President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying he is not available for nomination to any ANC leadership role.
Motlanthe addressed the media at Luthuli House on Monday in his capacity as head of the ANC Electoral Committee, where he stressed that all committee members are barred from standing for election. “I am not available for anything,” he said.
His remarks come as internal ANC lobbying intensifies amid persistent rumours that Ramaphosa may step down before completing his term. Party insiders say factions are scrambling to identify a unifying candidate to prevent a leadership takeover by Deputy President Paul Mashatile or ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula—both considered frontrunners but viewed warily by some within the party.
Motlanthe briefly served as South Africa’s president in 2008 following Thabo Mbeki’s recall, but his bid for a longer mandate ended when he lost the 2012 elective conference to Jacob Zuma.
Other names circulating among lobbyists include former president Thabo Mbeki, who some believe could serve as a caretaker leader should the ANC pursue a drastic organisational “reset” involving an early dissolution of the National Executive Committee.
Rumours of Ramaphosa’s early exit first surfaced during the 2020 Phala Phala scandal and have intensified in recent months, with some ANC insiders claiming the president fears a politically damaging recall if a successor he does not endorse gains momentum. Internal sources say Ramaphosa once favoured Police Minister Senzo Mchunu but is reconsidering that option following allegations raised by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi linking Mchunu and others to criminal networks.
Attention has since shifted to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza, who insiders say is open to the idea. Didiza’s recent election to the ANC National Working Committee positions her closer to key structures that influence leadership contests.
Ramaphosa has reportedly pushed back against internal manoeuvring, urging NEC members to confront him directly if they believe he should step aside. He is said to be willing to resign early if convinced the majority in the ANC no longer support his leadership.
Ramaphosa’s term as ANC president is set to end in 2027 and his second term as head of state in 2029.