LIVE: ANC in crisis? Mbalula responds after Pandor slams party leadership

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula will address the media on Tuesday afternoon, just days after the scathing criticism from party veteran Naledi Pandor, who accused the party’s leadership of failing the nation and losing the trust of the people.

The briefing will take place at the ANC’s headquarters, Luthuli House, in central Johannesburg.

In a statement, the ANC said Mbalula would “address perspectives on current developments and various issues in the political environment”.

The briefing follows sharp criticism from party veteran and former International Relations minister Naledi Pandor. 

Speaking at the centenary celebration of the late ANC Women’s League stalwart Gertrude Shope on Sunday, Pandor said South Africans now view the ANC with “disdain, horror and shame”.

“There is nothing worse in an organisation or in a country than a leader who has no solution,” Pandor said. 

“We can’t be asking someone else, ‘how do we solve this?’ The people are looking to us to resolve it.”

Pandor criticised the current leadership, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, for failing to provide solutions and for allowing the party’s values to erode.

“She (Shope) knew of the corruption that has dragged down the revolutionary morality of our leaders,” Pandor said.

“She was aware of our failures at local government level and of the inadequate capacity to serve, which is so prevalent in our public service.”

The ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in South Africa’s democratic history following the general election in May 2024. 

The result led to the formation of a Government of National Unity (GNU), which has since been marked by tension between the ANC and former opposition parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+).

Pandor, who served in several Cabinet roles under successive ANC governments, warned that the party was in decline, not only in electoral terms but also in its moral and political character.

“She was keenly aware of the decline of her beloved organisation - a decline not just in electoral outcomes but also in the party’s ability to reflect the values of leadership and commitment to serve the people,” she said.

Pandor called on women in the ANC to “rise and reclaim the ANC’s historic mission”.

“Now, having suffered from being called an ‘old woman’ by ANC members, I really hope we create value out of intergenerational co-operation,” she said. 

“Older women have a great deal to offer, young women have a great deal to offer - and working together, we would be a strong force.”

Pandor further warned against self-serving leaders who undermine the party’s revolutionary legacy.

“We have forgotten that we exist to serve the people. We need to bring that back - by scrutinising our leaders carefully, and ensuring that if they fail in their duties, we hold them to account, no matter their position,” she said.

She also called for genuine renewal and ethical leadership.

“We shouldn’t be talking about renewal in abstract or conceptual terms. We must talk about it practically. We need branches that respect members, meet regularly, hold political discussions, and allow everyone to become members of the ANC.

“I believe she would say: it is possible, comrades, to arrest the slide. It is possible to restore our lost glory. And we have lost our glory - let’s not pretend about it. The people are looking at us with disdain. The people are looking at us with horror and shame.”

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

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