The African National Congress (ANC) is expected to announce whether it will disband or reconfigure its Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) structures.
This comes after a weekend meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to discuss the fate of the two provinces, which saw significant losses in the 2024 elections.
The NEC held meetings at Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, to decide on the fate of KZN and Gauteng after they lost the elections.
KZN received just 17% of the votes while Gauteng garnered 35% electoral support.
The ANC party said the discussions over the past two days have been robust but cordial.
Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting on Sunday, ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, stressed that the party has no clear track record on whether disbandment will yield positive or negative outcomes.
Bhengu-Motsiri said that, pointing to the mixed results in provinces such as Limpopo, Western Cape, North West and the Free State, which have also undergone disbandment in the past.
“Where there has been disbandment, if you look at the results, it’s a mixed bag of results,” Bhengu-Motsiri said.
“I think that it is always important to address the situation in terms of merits and facts before us in every situation.”
The Gauteng and KZN provincial structures have two options now on the table, disbandment or reconfiguration. The status quo option is not being considered.
Bhengu-Motsiri said the political and organisational structures in KZN and Gauteng are different.
“There may be commonalities, but they are different. What is common, of course, about them is the fact that these are the two largest economies in our country. They contribute significant percentages to our national GDP, they are the most populous and contribute a lot to the national vote share.
“It is a science and logic to focus on those,” she said.
However, she emphasised that whatever decision is made, all the members are expected to respect and abide by it.
"I'm sure you would have seen NEC members that may hold a different position travelling together, continuing the discussion even during lunch. I think that’s a healthy sign and indicative of an organisation that is really looking outward in terms of addressing the trust deficit that currently exists between the ANC and the people of South Africa,” Bhengu-Motsiri added.
Meanwhile, the party announced it would reveal its decision by midday on Monday, at its headquarters in Johannesburg.
“The secretary-general of the African National Congress, Fikile Mbalula, will address a media briefing to outline the outcomes of a Special National Executive Committee meeting convened to consider the National Working Committee (NWC) report on the provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal,” read a statement.
The briefing will communicate the NEC’s resolutions on how to address organisational matters in the two provinces.
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