Disputes in ANC intensify ahead of South African elections — Daily Maverick
In South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC) is approaching local elections amid internal disputes over candidate nominations and the influence of regional structures. The author of Daily Maverick believes that the conflicts could leave the party more divided after the vote than before it.
One of the most notable disputes involved the ANC secretary in the Eastern Cape province, Lulama Ngcukayitobi, and the party’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula. Ngcukayitobi threatened to file a defamation lawsuit over Mbalula’s statements about the reasons why some provincial candidates were not registered for the local elections.
Problems with the lists
As The Sunday Times reported, the ANC’s candidate list from the Eastern Cape province arrived at the party headquarters at Luthuli House 30 minutes before it was due to be registered with the electoral commission. According to the newspaper, Mbalula’s office did not have enough time to enter all the names.
Another problem arose in the Free State: the ANC did not submit a complete list of candidates under the proportional representation system in Mangaung. In the author’s view, this could mean that the party loses power in the city unless it becomes the junior partner in a broader coalition.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Tensions in Johannesburg
In Johannesburg, the disputes, according to the author’s assessment, revolve around the position of mayor. Daily Maverick claims that the ANC’s central leadership kept Dada Morero in office to prevent the election of the party’s regional branch chair, Loyiso Masuku, as mayor of the city. Reverend Frank Chikane was not included on the ANC candidate list.
The party also cancelled, at the last minute, the public announcement of candidates for mayoral positions in major cities. The author of the article viewed this as a sign that regional structures may oppose decisions by the central leadership.
Daily Maverick notes that ahead of the 2021 local elections, the ANC had already faced disputes over candidate lists in Tshwane, while 10 years ago factional confrontation there was accompanied by violent protests. At the same time, the current disagreements have become more extensive and more public, in the author’s view.
