ANC officials to reconfigure KZN and Gauteng structures on Monday

22 January 2025 - 12:15
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ANC national officials led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, centre, will compile the list of names that will form part of the party's reconfigured leaderships in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. File photo.
ANC national officials led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, centre, will compile the list of names that will form part of the party's reconfigured leaderships in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. File photo.
Image: Morapedi Mashashe

ANC national officials led by President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Monday compile the list of names that will form part of the party's reconfigured leaderships in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

In a communique sent out on Tuesday, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the national officials will meet on Monday after the national executive committee (NEC) lekgotla at the weekend.

The meeting comes after the party’s NEC last week resolved to “reconfigure” the two provinces that were the biggest losers in the May 2024 national and provincial elections.

KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng went from more than 50% support in the previous elections to 17% and 35% respectively.

The NEC agreed that not taking action against leadership in the provinces was not an option.

They agreed that non-action could potentially lead to a situation similar to the Western Cape, where the ANC has never been able to regain power.

The decision to reconfigure essentially means the ANC in the two provinces was likely to be led by different leaders at the executive level.

It also means the provincial executive committees (PECs) are likely to be converted into provincial task teams.

Announcing the decision on Monday, Mbalula said reconfiguration meant “we are going to tamper with the leadership of the ANC [in KZN and Gauteng]”.

“I know the buzzword you like is dissolution. Others like reinforcement. Overall it's a combination of the two,” said Mbalula.

He said the NEC had agreed whatever changes officials make to the provincial leadership should not disrupt government.

This could indicate ANC Gauteng chair and premier Panyaza Lesufi was likely to form a big part of the reconfigured leadership.

Lesufi told Clement Manyathela on Talk Radio 702 his PEC met and welcomed the intervention t proposed by the NEC.

He said they were “pleased” the NEC took its time to assess and evaluate the status of the province after the elections.

“We believe the NEC was serious to say help is needed, intervention is needed, because we lost power in the province and it can't be business as usual,” he said.

The two provinces have announced their chairpersons, Lesufi and Siboniso Duma, would address provincial January 8 rallies in February.

It is not clear how this would be affected should officials decide to remove the two chairpersons in the reconfiguration.

TimesLIVE


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