By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) Secretary General Fikile Mbalula says the party will select ethical, capable and people-centred cadres to represent the party in next year’s municipal elections.
Mbalula was addressing the media on key developements at the party’s head office in Johannesburg.
Mbalula said the ANC had maintained its apex priorities, highlighting local government as a critical sphere of government.
“The ANC is working tirelessly to ensure that service delivery is accelerated and strengthened across all levels of the state. We acknowledge the progressive developments in key metros, including eThekwini, the positive offshoots in the City of Johannesburg, and the commendable work being undertaken in Tshwane. These gains demonstrate that where there is discipline, accountability, and collective leadership, our people experience real and tangible improvements in their daily lives.”
He said the party’s leadership welcomed the recent changes in local government leadership in the Free State, calling on all members to rally behind it.
The ANC in the Free State last week removed seven mayors, citing alleged corruption, financial mismanagement, poor performance and controversies attached to the municipalities.
The secretary general said, the party has charged its electoral committee to ensure that only “ethical, capable and people-centred cadres are nominated as candidates”.
“The Through the Eye of a Needle principles remain the yardstick: leadership is not an entitlement but a revolutionary responsibility. Councillors and candidates must be visible, accountable and rooted in their communities, leading with humility and competence. Only the electoral committee is mandated to communicate publicly on candidate selection, ensuring coherence, integrity, and adherence to revolutionary discipline,” said Mbalula.
Mbalula also said the party rejected what it termed “manipulative opinion polls”, which it said are designed to sow doubt about the movement’s strength and relevance.
A recent Democratic Alliance (DA) poll said the ANC’s electoral support had fallen below 30% ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections.
Mbalula dismissed the poll, claiming that many were funded by neo-liberal think tanks and DA-aligned interests to project a manufactured narrative of ANC decline.
He noted recent by-election victories, which he said strengthened branch activism and renewed grassroots confidence and affirmed that the ANC remained the “most trusted and relevant political organisation” in the country.
He acknowledged that the biggest challenges faced by the ANC in terms of the country’s citizenry was the decline of participation in the democratic processes.
Mbalula said the party intended to host “the biggest political school” towards the national general council on the discussions that shape the strategic way forward for the ANC.
The secretary-general said the upcoming national general council allows the party to have a midterm review, which the party will use robustly.
“The NGC will confront the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality, and propose bold steps for the fourth decade of democracy.”
Mbalula also said Naledi Pandor’s remarks were in line with the values and policies of the ANC and called on other leaders to echo her sentiments.
“She was reinforcing ANC policy on a public platform, talking about the values expected of ANC members,” he said.
Pandor slammed the ANC’s current state, warning that party’s stalwart Getrude Shope would have been “deeply troubled” by the corruption and erosion of values within the party.
The ANC’s support declined significantly in the 2024 general elections, leading to the loss of its parliamentary majority for the first time since 1994.
The loss led to the formation of a Government of National Unity (GNU), which has since been marred by tensions, especially between the ANC and former opposition parties such as the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF+).