ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula’s dream of succeeding President Cyril Ramaphosa is hanging by a thread.
This week in the corridors of Luthuli House, his detractors in the National Executive Committee (NEC) are calling for his head, according to two senior NEC members who spoke to Africa Daily on Thursday.
This follows the fiasco of a candidate registration blunder that left the ANC off the ballot in six municipalities, compounded by a bruising court battle against his own comrade, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma (NDZ).
Mbalula has, over the years, built his brand as the enforcer, the SG who would clean up the ANC, crush factionalism and end what he calls “T-shirt politics”.
Now he is the face of a administrative collapse that threatens to leave hundreds of ANC councillors jobless and stripped of patronage just weeks before the 4 November local elections.
On Wednesday, the Electoral Court dismissed the ANC’s appeal after it failed to properly capture candidates for more than 180 seats in KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and the Eastern Cape. Registrar Lebogang Lengana confirmed the ANC will not contest there.
That defeat alone has NEC members whispering that Mbalula must fall on his sword.
One NEC member, who asked not to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media, said Mbalula must account for the mess.
“As accounting officer he signs off. He is the custodian. He corresponds with the IEC. If we lose towns because of a technicality that every other serious party got right, someone must answer,” the NEC member told Africa Daily.
But Mbalula’s camp is telling a different story.
His allies claim the regions and provinces deliberately dragged their feet and submitted candidate lists late to block Luthuli House from vetting them.
“They wanted to stop Mbalula from cutting their preferred candidates, the same factional infighting that has left Johannesburg in limbo, ” said another ANC insider.
He was referring Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero clinging to the mayoral chain despite losing the regional chair to Loyiso Masuku earlier this year.
But that defence seems to be strong enough to save Mbalula in 2027 because his woes don’t end with the IEC.
Another blow is his defamation action against NEC member NDZ.
In a live podcast this month, NDZ alleged that Mbalula paid delegates cash at the ANC’s 2022 national conference, however, Mbalula has hauled her to court.
NDZ’s claim was never just about Mbalula according to insiders who are saying that the real target was president Cyril Ramaphosa himself, with the implication that his 2022 victory was bought.
“Mbalula has suddenly found himself as the face of two political dynamics that could completely change the trajectory of his party,” a senior ANC leader said.
“If he does not prevail against NDZ, Ramaphosa himself could be vulnerable. And if he carries the blame for the list fiasco, the branches will never forgive him,” the source concluded.
Mbalula nor the ANC had not responded to claims that his head was on the chopping block.
However Mbalula has been vocal about the ANC succession battle in recent days saying the party should concentrate on upcoming elections.
“We will not hesitate to disqualify candidates. Discipline is not optional, it is a condition of membership,” he said at the ANC cabinet Lekgotla in a clear bid to shut down succession questions.
“If we collapse local government, there is no future for the ANC. People must stop behaving as if conferences come before communities,” Mbalula has previously said.
