No leadership vacuum in Eastern Cape despite PTT ruling, insists Mbalula

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has insisted there is no leadership vacuum in the party’s Eastern Cape structures despite the High Court declaring the Provincial Task Team (PTT) unlawful, saying the ANC remains confident the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) will overturn the ruling.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Friday, Mbalula defended the party’s decision to petition the SCA after the High Court in Makhanda dismissed applications for leave to appeal against a June judgment that nullified the establishment of the interim provincial leadership structure.

He argued that the court had incorrectly interpreted the ANC’s decision to establish the PTT after the term of the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) had expired.

“There is a province called North West. Its mandate has expired. So if you were to go with Judge Noncembu’s outcome, it means the NEC must not constitute the PTT,” Mbalula said.

He also rejected the court’s treatment of minutes submitted by the ANC as evidence of the NEC’s.

“The judgment says that the minutes we gave them are basically an afterthought.”

“I am the secretary-general. I give minutes to the court about the decision taken by the NEC to appoint an interim structure because the PEC mandate had expired.”

Mbalula maintained that the earlier court order interdicting the ANC’s planned Eastern Cape elective conference had not dissolved the Provincial Executive Committee.

“The judgment that interdicted the conference did not set aside the PEC. The PEC was intact.”

He said those legal questions would ultimately be determined by the Supreme Court of Appeal.

“Those issues will be ventilated in court and therefore we believe that the Supreme Court of Appeal will be able to deal with these particular matters.”

“We are actually appealing that particular decision, which we believe is appealable.”

Mbalula also dismissed suggestions that the litigation had created uncertainty over the ANC’s leadership in the province.

“So there is no vacuum in the Eastern Cape. All structures are intact. We’re moving ahead nicely.”

“The only thing that is not in existence is the PTT and we’re challenging that matter on an urgent basis in the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein.”

His remarks come after Judge Vuyokazi Noncembu ruled that neither the ANC nor the PTT had demonstrated reasonable prospects of success on appeal, leaving intact her earlier finding that the party had failed to comply with its own constitution when establishing the interim Provincial Task Team.

Following Thursday’s ruling, the ANC confirmed it would petition the Supreme Court of Appeal, saying it respected the judiciary and South Africa’s constitutional processes while exercising its right to pursue further legal remedies.

The ANC NEC is meeting on Friday, where the party is considering and adopting its manifesto for the 2026 local government elections.