Boy Mamabolo quits ANC, plans to launch new political party
Former ANC MP Boy Mamabolo has applied to the Electoral Commission of SA to register political party.
Image: Phando Jikelo / Independent Newspapers
Suspended ANC member and former MP Boy Mamabolo has officially resigned from the ANC after nearly three decades of membership, citing internal sabotage, political marginalisation, and deliberate efforts to discredit him.
In a resignation letter addressed to Limpopo ANC Provincial Secretary Reuben Madadzhe, Mamabolo said he could “no longer endure the abuse” he has allegedly suffered from within the party.
“This was a very difficult and emotional decision,” he wrote, adding that the organisation he once served has turned its back on him.
Mamabolo’s departure comes at a time when the ANC is facing growing internal discord, with leadership fractures at both provincial and national levels.
Factional battles, accusations of gatekeeping, and declining public trust have cast a shadow over the ruling party’s preparations for upcoming elective conferences.
His resignation follows a series of controversies, including his suspension earlier this year over defamatory social media remarks directed at ANC Women's League member Onnica Moloi.
Mamabolo was also subjected to a court order mandating the deactivation of his Facebook account following complaints over online misconduct.
Adding to his grievances, Mamabolo has decried what he terms his “unlawful” removal from Parliament, and accused senior ANC figures of actively sabotaging his attempts to form a new political movement.
His proposed party, Mandela For President, was recently rejected by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), which cited concerns that the name and branding—green and black—could mislead voters into believing the party was affiliated with the ANC or former president Nelson Mandela.
The IEC’s rejection, combined with internal party tensions, appears to have been the final catalyst for Mamabolo’s exit.
He is now reportedly planning to launch a new political party under a revised name.
Mamabolo’s departure adds to the growing list of high-profile exits from the ANC in recent years, as internal leadership struggles and policy divisions continue to erode the party’s cohesion.
His next political move could further reshape the landscape in Limpopo, already a region marked by shifting allegiances and power contests within the ANC.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics