Nomnyamazana – ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has declared that the party will not be wiped out by the upcoming local government elections, insisting that its political survival is secure despite growing public frustration.
Speaking at the funeral of ANC stalwart Nomnyamazana Toki in the Free State on Sunday, Mbalula dismissed predictions that the elections would mark the end of the governing party.
“There are those that have predicted that these elections will mark the death of the ANC, that will not happen, the ANC will not die, the person who will kill the ANC is not born yet,” he said.
However, Mbalula acknowledged that the ANC had lost the trust of some South Africans, including people who had supported the party for decades.
He urged voters to give the party another chance, while accepting that it needed to take responsibility for its mistakes.
[WATCH] We need a reconstruction and decision of the soul, we must change our ways and be focused comrades on what is important to our people and execute those tasks, instead of focusing on non important issues. We must be focused on changing our people’s lives and changing them for the better. Those who don’t want to walk the path set out by the ANC must rest comrades, so we can focus on the task at hand. People who do work for the people must be rested comrades and those who are ready for the task at hand be given the responsibility.
— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) October 11, 2026
“The ANC secretary-general said the party’s renewal had to be demonstrated through action rather than promises.
He described this process as the “RDP of the soul”, calling on members to change their behaviour and the way the organisation operates.
“Comrades, we must change things and how we do things,” he said.
Mbalula said ANC leaders who failed to uphold the party’s standards should be removed from their positions.
“A person who does not walk the right path that the party requires all members to walk should be relieved of their duties,” he said.
He argued that the ANC remained relevant because South Africa continued to face serious challenges, including inequality and gender-based violence.
“Let us pay attention to the challenges our people are facing,” he said.
Mbalula added that the party needed to show communities that it cared about their everyday struggles and future prospects.
He also warned ANC supporters against abandoning the organisation for newer political formations, arguing that these parties lacked the ANC’s experience in government.
He encouraged supporters to remain in the party and work to address its internal problems rather than leave.
Despite acknowledging the ANC’s difficulties, Mbalula maintained that the organisation remained a political home for poor and working-class South Africans.
“The ANC is the people’s movement, there is nothing wrong with the ANC, the problems are some individuals within the ANC,” he said.
His remarks come as political parties prepare for the local government elections scheduled for 4 November, with the ANC facing pressure over public trust, service delivery and its record in government.
Mbalula’s message combined confidence in the party’s survival with a recognition that it must rebuild trust if it hopes to retain voters’ support.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
