By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The National General Council (NGC) – the African National Congress (ANC) mid-term review between national conferences – began on Monday morning, 8 December, in Boksburg, Gauteng, with convoys of sports cars and SUVs lining the entrance to Birchwood Conference Centre.
The four-day NGC, which will examine the party’s performance and implementation of its resolutions since its national conference in 2022, concludes on Thursday.
Secretary General Fikile Mbalula, delivering his mid-term report which received a full endoserment, told delegates that the party’s NEC has rejected the idea of dual membership for South African Communist Party (SACP) members should it not reverse its decision to contest elections.
The SACP announced it will no longer campaign for the ANC but would contest elections itself.
The matter is expected to be ventilated at the NEC Lekgotla in January 2026, and should the NGC and the NEC lekgotla uphold the NEC meeting decision to reject their dual membership, this would mean SACP members would cease to be ANC members.
Mbalula’s report revealed a shocking picture of a party slowly dying in urban areas.
During the 2024 national elections, the ANC dropped below 50% of the vote for the first time, receiving only 40.18%. In 2019, it received 57.5%.
According to Mbalula, the Eastern Cape remains “the province where support shows consistency”, maintaining its historical status as a pro-ANC region.
Despite sustaining base support in most municipalities, the report warns that this cannot be taken for granted ahead of the 2026 elections, particularly because the province also contains pockets where opposition parties have successfully gained traction.
Mbalula warned delegates that although the Eastern Cape remains an anchor province, its reliability must not breed organisational complacency.
Gauteng remains one of the ANC’s most difficult terrains.
While Mbalula acknowledged that support has recently stabilised, the overall trajectory reflects a long-term downward trend.
The report shows that ANC support is “mixed across regions, including the metros”.
Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane continue to drift away from ANC majorities, weakened further by perceptions of poor service delivery and fragmentation within the party’s regional structures.
Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) has recorded steady declines over multiple election cycles. Mbalula cited shifting loyalties, the rise of regional parties and damaged public trust following the July 2021 unrest and municipal failures.
Limpopo remains stable with 520 of 568 branches in good standing, he said.
“Their provincial elections strategy for the 2026 local government elections has been adopted and rolled out in all regions. Limpopo is one of the best-performing provinces for the ANC,” he said.
Mbalula said Mpumalanga retains overall political dominance. The ANC is completely in charge there.
But he said this province is being challenged by declining voter confidence, uneven service delivery, reduced voter participation and weakened organisational cohesion in some areas.
He said the party in the Northern Cape is strong and united.
“The ANC in this province has won even wards which belonged to the DA…of the province’s 232 branches, 218 of which are 94% in good standing, reflecting high levels of organisational stability. Their membership stands at 54,767,” he said.
North West, Mbalula said it is under pressure due to organisational strain, declining voter confidence, and problems in local government.
“This province in the North West is one of our surprises in the last elections; they performed very, very well. That election reflected vulnerability, but it reflected the resilience of this province.”
He said the Free State has major organisational challenges, weakened branches, declining communal confidence, and distressed municipalities.
“Although the ANC attained a provincial majority in the 2024 elections…support has steadily declined from 2019, signalling reduced hegemony and an urgent need for visible governance.
Mbalula described the Democratic Alliance (DA)-run Western Cape as “the most challenging province for the ANC”.
Support remains low, especially in the City of Cape Town, where the DA continues to retain strong control.
Mbalula pointed to structural issues in ANC branches, inconsistent community outreach, and the party’s inability to penetrate mixed and historically marginalised communities that have increasingly shifted away from the movement.
As the country prepares for the 2026 elections, the ANC said its deployees ought to play the strategic role required to transform South Africa.
“Every ANC-governed municipality must demonstrate irrefutable progress in implementing the Spatial Development Framework to ensure that all rural and urban areas possess reliable infrastructure, thriving local economies, sustainable livelihoods, affordable quality services and shared prosperity.”
“This National General Council must take tough decisions regarding the calibre of cadres who will lead local government in the coming term, and the firm accountability measures required to implement the District Development Model (DDM)– so that government plans, budgets and acts as one seamless whole,” Mbalula said.
Mbalula has also highlighted the need to strengthen the party’s consequence management framework, citing insights of the Integrity Commission.
“The Commission emphasises the distinction between disciplinary, legal, and integrity processes. Integrity operates at a higher moral threshold than criminal law. The reliance on innocent until proven guilty as a shield against ethical accountability has damaged the ANC and must be treated as misconduct,” says Mbalula.
In the next two days, delegates at the ANC’s NGC will be split into commissions to continue policy discussions. Mbalula poured cold water over suggestions that there would also be a succession debate, following speculation that there would be calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s removal and that the event is a precursor to the party’s next elective conference.