By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) has firmly ruled out any leadership shakeup in the Free State, despite its declining electoral support during the 2024 elections.
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa formed part of the meeting that met the leadership in the province, which was preceded on Saturday by the National Working Committee’s (NWC) engagements with regional structures and branches.
Members of the NWC met with structures in Mangaung, Xariep, Lejweleputswa, Thabo Mofutsanyana, and Fezile Dabi on the party’s renewal programme.
The province is home to some of South Africa’s most troubled municipalities, plagued by poor service delivery, crumbling infrastructure, and financial mismanagement.
During a media briefing on Monday afternoon in the Free State, Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said that while there were problems, the NWC had full confidence in the leadership collective led by Mxolisi Dukwana.
“There is no house that doesn’t have problems. These comrades have fought hard in an election we thought we would lose, hands down and for them to produce 51% was not a miracle, it was a collective effort. They worked very hard to achieve that particular result,” said Mbalula.
The ANC, in its bid to rebuild and renew itself, is engaging its membership throughout the country.
Mbalula said this would also include the introduction of rigorous political education and thorough membership audits and leadership development initiatives.
Mbalula said that some branches had completely collapsed in the Free State.
“We can do everything of what we can do but if we don’t have branches, the ANC is not alive. We are the only party in terms of popular support and grassroots support that is unmatched in this country and the ANC must use that.”
The ANC’s approach in the Free State builds on its recent interventions in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, where it reconfigured leadership structures after losing majorities in 2024. In KwaZulu-Natal, the party dropped to 17% as the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, led by Jacob Zuma, surged to 45%. In Gauteng, it fell to 36%, forcing coalitions with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and others.
Beyond the ANC’s internal focus, the Free State’s political scene is shifting. The DA, which won 21.65% (178,483 votes) in 2024, gained two seats, bringing its total to seven in the provincial legislature. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) also grew, securing 13.52% and four seats.