Despite what appeared to be poor organisation by the ANC during its anniversary celebrations in Moruleng, North West, lobbyists backing Secretary General Fikile Mbalula’s presidential ambitions believe the January 8 rally—along with a series of fringe events leading up to it—significantly advanced his campaign for the party’s top position.
Mbalula reportedly received the loudest applause at events he attended, including the main rally on Saturday.
“We had our own programme. We deliberately did this to avoid Mbalula playing second fiddle to the outgoing president or to Paul [Deputy President Paul Mashatile]. He needed to demonstrate his own popularity, and we believe that objective was achieved,” said a Limpopo-based lobbyist.
According to the lobbyist, Mbalula entered the anniversary period with a clear strategy, while rival contenders continued to rely on approaches that have failed in the past. He argued that Mbalula’s outspoken style and commitment to radical reform could help the ANC reclaim voters lost to former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.
“What does Paul stand for? Even the media doesn’t know, because he’s offering nothing different from what we saw under Ramaphosa or Zuma. As for Thoko [Parliamentary Speaker Thoko Didiza], the less said the better. She’s protected by Parliament, but in reality she has never won anything and does not command respect. Sputla and others being mentioned are simply excited—they don’t stand much of a chance,” the lobbyist said.
Another lobbyist, a former ANC Youth League leader, said the recent re-election of Collen Malatjie as Youth League president was a major boost for Mbalula’s campaign.
“You saw for yourself—it was a clean sweep. Mbalula engineered that outcome, and now he has the young lions. The youth understand him and know he is not afraid to challenge white capital. He will express himself more forcefully going forward. We are planning a series of political lectures for him. He has been busy, but he will be even busier in the weeks and months leading up to conference,” said the lobbyist, who requested anonymity.
On Friday, Mbalula cancelled a scheduled media briefing on preparations for the January 8 rally, citing an emergency in Gauteng. He resurfaced hours later in Mogwase, where he addressed a Youth League memorial lecture honouring its late former leader, Peter Mokaba.
Ahead of his address, Youth League leaders, including Malatjie, called for radical economic transformation—demands Mbalula described as legitimate.
“The Youth League must speak like youth. We cannot have Collen [Malatjie] behaving like Ramaphosa. There must be a difference; otherwise, we may have to remove him and find a better young leader,” Mbalula said.
He argued that the ANC squandered opportunities to transform the economy during periods when it enjoyed a two-thirds parliamentary majority and said this failure must be corrected.
“Nationalisation of the Reserve Bank is ANC policy. Expropriation of land without compensation is ANC policy. These policies will be implemented once we regain our power,” he said, drawing loud applause from the youth in attendance.
Historically, the ANC Youth League has been a radical force and kingmaker within the party. At its 2011 elective conference under then-president Julius Malema, the league adopted far-reaching resolutions on economic transformation, unsettling the ANC’s top leadership. Former president Jacob Zuma and current president Cyril Ramaphosa later moved to neutralise the Youth League, expelling Malema and suspending several of his allies.
Radical economic forces resurfaced ahead of the ANC’s 2017 Nasrec conference, rallying behind Zuma’s preferred successor, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. After defeating her, Ramaphosa further weakened the faction through the removal of senior figures such as Ace Magashule and Carl Niehaus, the latter of whom later joined the EFF.
Mbalula is now expected to court remnants of the Radical Economic Transformation (RET) grouping as he positions himself as the most radical candidate within the current ANC leadership. He is believed to have assured Youth League leaders that, if elected ANC president, he would immediately remove the DA and Freedom Front Plus from the Government of National Unity (GNU).
While Mbalula’s lobbyists regard the North West visit as a success, several ANC NEC members and officials were reportedly displeased with his conduct. When Mbalula eventually arrived at Moruleng Stadium on Friday evening, First Deputy Secretary General Nomvula Mokonyane had already completed a walkabout alone and reportedly briefed him reluctantly.
Mokonyane publicly reprimanded North West Youth League chairperson and Community Safety MEC Wessels Morweng for being absent during critical moments.
“This is unacceptable. We looked for you the whole day. You were supposed to be here as the safety MEC. Don’t do that,” Mokonyane said.
According to one NEC member, the rebuke was indirectly aimed at Mbalula, who arrived alongside Morweng.
Lobbyists say Mbalula plans to intensify campaigning in Limpopo, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and North West in the build-up to the ANC’s 2027 elective conference.
Another NEC member aligned to Mbalula said his growing association with the Youth League also served to distance him from Ramaphosa’s perceived failures, including electoral decline and the ANC’s partnership with right-wing parties in the GNU.
“Ramaphosa is leaving. Once he’s gone, there will be a reckoning for those who entangled the ANC with the DA and FF+. We are creating space for Mbalula to be part of that condemnation and avoid scrutiny,” the lobbyist said.
A former Mashatile supporter who has since joined the Mbalula camp said the Secretary General’s strategy had made campaigning easier.
“He is speaking alone. He controls the party machinery and knows how to use it. He has throttled the succession debate. None of the other officials are deployed to address ANC events—it’s just him. That has worked for us. People identify with his boldness, and that is why they are more likely to endorse him.”