Cape Town – Former president Thabo Mbeki has backed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s reported willingness to resign as ANC president following the party’s poor showing in the 2026 local government elections.
Speaking on Mbuyiseni Ndlozi’s African Renaissance Podcast on Monday, Mbeki said Ramaphosa would be taking the “correct” position if reports that he had offered to step down were accurate.
Mbeki said political leaders should accept responsibility when their parties suffer major electoral setbacks.
“I think he’s taking the correct position. Because normally, in all of these democratic countries where you have a major disaster like that, the leaders resign. They take responsibility,” Mbeki said.
President Thabo Mbeki contends that the current ANC leadership must perhaps consider resigning because they cannot continue to leading a catastrophe. They also can’t be entrusted with renewal of the ANC since nothing positive has happened under President Ramaphosa’s leadership. https://t.co/DHEPHmSxz1
— Kefentse Mkhari (@KI_Mkhari) November 9, 2026
The comments follow reports by TimesLIVE that Ramaphosa had raised the possibility of resigning after the ANC suffered another major electoral setback.
The ANC’s national support fell sharply in the 2026 local elections, following its loss of its national majority in the 2024 elections. TimesLIVE reported that at least five ANC National Executive Committee members said Ramaphosa had suggested that the party’s top leadership should take responsibility for the latest result.
Mbeki said the ANC’s leadership should confront the reasons behind the party’s declining support rather than continue as if nothing had happened.
“The economy goes down, levels of unemployment increase, levels of poverty increase, levels of violence and crime in the society increase, ANC loses massive support,” Mbeki said.
“Nothing positive happens,” he added, questioning whether the ANC’s top leadership should continue in office after the electoral losses.
The former president also said the entire ANC top seven should consider taking responsibility.
No such consideration in the ANC
“I think the leadership, the leadership, we as the leadership of the ANC must be brave enough to take responsibility for what we have done and not done,” Mbeki said.
However, Ramaphosa and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula have rejected reports that the president is preparing to resign.
According to IOL, Mbalula said there was “no such consideration in the ANC”, while Ramaphosa reportedly dismissed the claims as rumours.
“I don’t know where these rumours come from. I mean, who came up with a rumour like that?” Ramaphosa said, according to The Citizen.
Mbalula has nevertheless acknowledged the seriousness of the election result, which he previously described as a “catastrophe”, saying the ANC needed to reflect on the reasons behind voters’ growing dissatisfaction.
The controversy comes as the ANC begins assessing its electoral performance and prepares for difficult coalition negotiations in municipalities where it failed to secure outright majorities.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
