The ANC is holding its national executive committee this weekend meeting to discuss, among other things, its elections strategy for the 2024 national and provincial elections.
The meeting is also likely to receive a status report on the list of its parliamentary representatives as the head of its electoral body, Kgalema Motlanthe, is expected to brief the media on its vetting process.
Motlanthe’s report is expected to reveal the names of those who have failed the vetting process and have to be excluded from the list of nominees to parliament and provincial legislature.
It is unclear who is on that list, but it is expected to include those who have been nominated by ANC branches but are facing criminal charges, disciplinary action and other forms of wrongdoing, among others.
Insiders also suggest that the meeting will also discuss a report by the party’s head of political education David Makhura that looked into how the proliferation of opposition political parties will affect its prospects at the elections this year.
This NEC takes place weeks after Zuma delivered a shock when he publicly endorsed the MK Party, citing that he could not support the ‘ANC of [Cyril] Ramaphosa’.
Makhura’s research is also said to include the impact on the ANC of the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party that is backed by former president Jacob Zuma.
Makhura is said to have already presented this report to the party’s national working committee (NWC).
The report is said to include whether the ANC has anything to worry about in relation to its support base, especially in KZN, which seems to be the focus of a few parties including the EFF and the newly established MK Party.
This NEC takes place weeks after Zuma delivered a shock when he publicly endorsed the MK Party, citing that he could not support the “ANC of [Cyril] Ramaphosa”.
The NEC meeting is also expected to discuss the conduct of its secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula.
Mbalula is said to have been hauled over the coals by the party’s national leadership, dubbed the Top Seven, for going against a decision to not speak about Zuma until the January 8 celebrations.
Mbalula went against this decision and chastised Zuma, saying he is now campaigning against the ANC, even after the party protected him at all costs on his Nkandla debacle to the extent of lying about the swimming pool calling it a fire pool.
This, according to some NEC members, took the attention away from the build-up of the January 8 celebrations and placed it on Zuma.
The NEC meeting is scheduled to take place on Friday and Saturday to discuss internal ANC matters before converting into an NEC lekgotla to discuss the state of the ANC-led government on Sunday and Monday, when party deployees such as ministers, mayors, premiers and senior government officials are expected to participate.
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