President Cyril Ramaphosa recently addressed the ongoing discussions within the African National Congress (ANC) regarding the possible disbandment of the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provincial executive committees (PECs) due to their poor election results. Speaking at the 25th annual Joe Slovo commemoration, Ramaphosa stated that the ANC national executive committee (NEC) has yet to make a final decision on this matter.
The ANC leadership convened in Cape Town for their NEC meeting before heading to the Western Cape for the party’s 113th birthday celebrations at Khayelitsha Stadium. Last year, after meeting with the Gauteng PEC, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula mentioned that a decision on the future of both provinces would be made in January.
Mbalula outlined three possible options for the future of the PECs: maintaining the status quo, providing reinforcements based on provincial needs, or completely overhauling and reorganizing through disbandment. However, the issue was not discussed during the recent NEC meeting.
An ANC national working committee member confirmed that the disbandment issue was not on the agenda for the NEC meeting, which primarily focused on drafting the January 8 statement. Another NEC source revealed that a separate meeting would be held in Johannesburg to address the disbandment issue and other matters.
Meanwhile, SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila expressed concerns about the potential disbandment, particularly in Gauteng. He highlighted the need for the ANC to decide on the fate of both provinces, emphasizing the importance of unity within the party.
Overall, the discussions surrounding the disbandment of the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal PECs remain ongoing within the ANC leadership. The final decision on this matter is yet to be made, and further meetings are scheduled to address the issue in the coming weeks.
