Lobbying for KZN and Gauteng task teams members takes shape

The ANC will rely on rule 12.2.4 of its constitution when it follows the process to reconfigure its KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provincial structures in the coming weeks. 

According to this rule, the national executive committee (NEC) has the power to suspend or dissolve a provincial executive committee (PEC) where necessary. It states that the suspension of a PEC shall not exceed three months and the election of a PEC, which has been dissolved, shall be called within nine months from date of dissolution.

“The NEC must appoint an interim structure during the period of suspension or the dissolution of the PEC to fulfil the functions of the PEC,” the rule states.

This rule has been used to dissolve provincial structures including North West during Supra Mahumapelo's tenure as provincial chair, Western Cape and the party's leagues.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said as much during a media briefing on Monday, while ANC insiders who spoke to TimesLIVE Premium said the reconfiguration was a “polite” euphemism for a disbandment.

The ANC has been torn on whether it should disband the two provinces after its electoral losses last year. The two provinces make more than 40% of the ANC electorate and have the biggest populace in the country. 

Ramaphosa's reasons to reconfigure 

Members of the NEC and close allies of party president Cyril Ramaphosa said they believed he used the term “reconfigure” during his closing remarks to unite the NEC after robust debate that could have escalated into factional wars.

One insider said Ramaphosa was aware that there were two factions, which included the top brass: one calling for a disbandment while the other called for reinforcement in the provinces.

“Those who were saying reinforce were inviting us to do so outside the parameters of the constitution because they are arguing the NEC can take any decision, but not all decisions taken by the NEC may pass the constitutional muster of the ANC,” one insider who advocated for a disbandment told TimesLIVE Premium. 

At least five NEC members said the next step was to dissolve the current PECs and appoint a new structure that will include NEC members and party veterans.

Mbalula told the media the ANC would tamper with both provinces’ leadership.

“That's what reconfiguration means in the framework of the ANC. We have decided not to suspend the constitution but to use it to build the organisation. We are going to reconfigure the leadership in terms of the framework of our constitution. You can't reconfigure anyone without being guided by the constitution,” he said. 

“The buzzword is dissolution, others such as reinforcement. Overall it is a combination of the two in the quest to unite our organisation.”

Task teams to include NEC members 

The ANC leaders said the reconfiguration will see new faces taking over leadership positions in the two provinces as conveners and coordinators of task teams.

They added that while the priority will be the appointment of NEC members deployed in those provinces, leaders who come from the two provinces will be included in the task teams.

“There won't be a chair called Panyaza [Lesufi] or [Sboniso] Duma. The convener and coordinator will come from outside the NEC so that we can maintain the relationship between province and national,” one insider said.

“You will then say we have five NEC members, in addition to the five we are recalling another five NEC members from Gauteng to come back and work in Gauteng. That will be defined as a reinforcement. The provincial task teams will be reinforced by NEC members. The route to reconfiguration is going to be rule 12.”

We will deploy NEC members to all the regions in both provinces to explain and present the decision to structures. Everybody, including ANC members, must wait for reconfiguration to be finalised as agreed by the ANC

—  Fikile Mbalula, ANC secretary-general 

Mbalula said the officials will meet this week and provide details of the reconfiguration, which will be presented to the NWC next Monday.

“Thereafter we will deploy NEC members to all the regions in both provinces to explain and present the decision to structures. Everybody, including ANC members, must wait for reconfiguration to be finalised as agreed by the ANC,” he said. 

Another high-ranking leader said while the ANC constitution limits the work of the task team to nine months for an elective conference to be convened, the Western Cape situation had set a precedent that could be followed in this process. The ANC disbanded its Western Cape PEC in 2019 and only elected a new leadership in 2023.

“If we decide that the amount of work to be done in KZN and Gauteng requires an interim leadership for two years, we will make that decision,” the high-ranking leader said. 

They argued that the ANC should consider whether it can hold elective conferences on the eve of the local government elections.

“How you do that is you appoint [the task team] for nine months, at the end of that time they come and say, 'Our term has ended, we have not delivered on the conference,' and you extend their term for another nine months. We call it extension because we keep the same people, but when we write it down, we say that task team has ceased to exist — we are appointing a new one, even if it [has] the same faces. So when we are litigated, we can say we didn't extend, we removed the one that did not deliver and put another one [in place],” they argued. 

They added that the pace of work will depend on whether it is justified to hold an elective conference, claiming the party must still properly understand the impact of former president Jacob Zuma and his people who are in the ANC. 

NWC report fuels fire

TimesLIVE Premium understands that the ANC's working committee report was scathing of the two provinces.

The committee visited the two provinces late last year in an attempt to ascertain the state of the party. It later met the executive committees of the two provinces.

In Gauteng, the committee report stated that the provincial executive had defied orders from Luthuli House during election campaigning, possessed weak structures at branch, regional and provincial level and lacked the ability to rebuild the party. The provincial leadership's public conduct was also found wanting, sources said.

“KZN is far more complex because you need to fight Zuma and you need a public face which can contest with Zuma and [Velenkosini] Hlabisa from the IFP,” a provincial leader who sits in the NEC said. 

KZN will not defy NEC decision

It is understood that Mike Mabuyakhulu is the front-runner to take over the reins in KZN as the convener of the task team. 

TimesLIVE Premium previously reported that some within the KZN provincial executive were lobbying for a disbandment in an attempt to remove provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo and Duma.

Mabuyakhulu has previously been appointed by Luthuli House to assist in co-ordinating its election strategy in the province alongside some of its veterans, including Zweli Mkhize. However, their efforts were said to have been undermined by some within the PEC.

“Some of the NEC members from KZN will have to be sent back. The NWC will discuss this, but Zweli definitely will need to be sent back. I don't think Zweli will work against the ANC, even if he is unhappy with Ramaphosa. He is looking at a situation where Ramaphosa in two years' time is no longer the president,” a KZN leader said.

A PEC member in KZN said the province will not defy the directive of the NEC, adding that the regions and branches are clear that the party needs to act. 

“All we need to do is to support this task team. Beyond everything there is an organisation that must regain its standing and we need accept and respect the decisions taken with the full wisdom of the leadership,” the PEC member said.

“There is no member in the province who will try to defy this intervention, and anyone who tries to mobilise members will be isolated. I've spoken to PEC members and regions and most of them have accepted this decision.”

ANC succession

This decision comes on the heels of talks within the party over who will succeed Ramaphosa come 2027. Deputy president Paul Mashatile and Mbalula are said to be the front-runners in the contest.

Mashatile, aligned to Duma and Lesufi, was against a dissolution of the two structures, while Mbalula has been at loggerheads with Lesufi and is said to have fallen out with Mtolo, who was lobbying for a disbandment.

Mashatile is considered the favoured son of Gauteng. He was supported by both provinces in his bid for the deputy president position.

Two insiders said the decision will benefit Mbalula or Mashatile, depending on who is appointed to the task team. 

“If those appointed in the task team feel Mbalula can listen to them, and he influenced their appointment ... If those who are with Paul continue to undermine the work of the appointed leadership and Paul does not act in opposition to that behaviour, Mbalula will become a beneficiary,”  the insiders said. 

“But if you appoint people and the officials close rank and say anyone who undermines this team will deal with us, then the team will understand that they are appointed by the leadership, and we have right to decide who in that leadership should take over after Ramaphosa — and that could benefit Paul. 

“The problem is when, for example, those in Gauteng who are known to be with Paul undermine that appointed leadership, it will work against Paul. They will have a reason to propel Mbalula because he would have been the one who helped them succeed in their work.”