ANC SUCCESSION BATTLE SET TO TEST PARTY

Wed 11 December 2024:

Things can only get worse for the African National Congress (ANC) as a premature succession battle threatens to rupture the party.

This is according to Professor Kedibone Phago of North-West University (NWU), who spoke to Newzroom Afrika on Monday.

The party’s next elective conference, when it is expected to choose new leaders, is only scheduled for 2027. But certain individuals have already begun preparing to contest for top positions.

“It is really not going to get better in the next few months and we may see more of this coming because each person now wants to see how they can properly position themselves for the next round of the elective conference of the ANC, especially because the president will be going out,” he explained.

Phago spoke as the ANC’s national working committee (NWC) met with the Gauteng provincial executive committee (PEC) at Birchwood Hotel, Boksburg.

The PEC is likely to be disbanded over its poor performance in the May elections. It received just 34.76% of the vote in the province.

He said the “strained relationship” between provincial and national leaders of the party is likely to deal a blow to its electoral prospects in the upcoming local government elections.

“If they are not going to iron those material differences amongst the provincial structures with the national structure, it is going to play out in the open and it will definitely affect their outcome in the local government elections that are coming.”