‘You're in denial’: Politicians rub salt into Mbalula’s wound after ANC losses in Gauteng metros

Several politicians have taunted ANC head of elections Fikile Mbalula over his “denial” about the ruling party suffering a defeat in Gauteng metros this week.

In a lengthy post on social media, Mbalula bemoaned the ANC’s performance in the local government elections and the nature of coalition talks.

According to him, the ANC won the regions but opposition parties “ganged up” on them.

The ANC won the most votes in the cities of Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni, but did not get enough to form a majority government in any metro.

This led to their candidates losing in all three metros after the EFF, ActionSA and other opposition parties voted for the DA candidates.

“We didn’t lose elections, we lost to coalitions because of our failure to garner [an] outright majority to govern,” said Mbalula.

Reacting to Mbalula’s claim, EFF deputy leader Floyd Shivambu said he should “accept the obvious”.

“The ANC lost the 2021 local government elections and will be taken out of power in all major provinces and national government in 2024,” said Shivambu.

“If the arrogance and detachment continue, the ANC will perish forever.”

One SA Movement leader Mmusi Maimane said Mbalula was a “certified loser” and in denial.

“You are in denial. The turntables will not spin. Your party lost millions of votes. Your party lost metros,” he said.

The African Transformation Movement’s Mzwanele Manyi mocked Mbalula for allegedly not understanding what failure to garner an outright majority to govern meant.

“Can someone please explain very slowly to Mbalula that failure to garner outright majority to govern is the same as losing elections? So, Ramaphosa’s ANC lost twice: it lost the elections and it also lost on coalitions. Sadly it’s a double whammy,” he said.

Mbalula, however, agreed with Shivambu’s statement that if the ANC doesn’t change its strategy by 2024, it will lose power.

“I don’t deny anything, I am just stating a fact,” said Mbalula. “We lost metros to coalition governments. We dropped in a big way because our support base did not come out in numbers to vote for us, they stayed away. You are right, if this pattern doesn’t change in 2024, we will lose power.”

He also told Maimane the ANC needed 10-million votes to secure total victory.

“We lost metros to coalition governments, fact. Your former boss DA got a donation from [the] EFF and Herman [Mashaba]," he said.