Ramaphosa rejects claims that ANC is ‘dead’ in KZN despite 2024 election setback - IOL

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says the party is gaining momentum in KwaZulu-Natal as it works to rebuild support following its sharp decline in the 2024 elections.

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says the ANC is gaining momentum in KwaZulu-Natal and making progress in rebuilding the party after its poor performance in the 2024 elections.

Speaking in eThekwini, Ramaphosa said he would report back to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on Monday that the province was gaining momentum and moving forward.

The ANC’s support in KwaZulu-Natal fell from 54% in the previous election cycle to about 16% in the 2024 national and provincial elections, while the MK Party won 45% and the IFP also finished ahead of the ANC.

Ramaphosa acknowledged the decline, saying some had concluded that the ANC was “dead” in KwaZulu-Natal, but rejected that view.

“I said it can’t be; the ANC will never die here in KZN. KZN is the home of the African National Congress,” Ramaphosa said.

He said the ANC remained rooted in KwaZulu-Natal and that its current campaign was demonstrating that the party was alive and rebuilding.

Ramaphosa said he was encouraged by people returning to the ANC from other political parties and described this as part of the party’s renewal.

He said the ANC was on a journey to rebuild itself and put its 2024 performance behind it ahead of the November 4 local government elections.

“We are on a journey of renewal and renewing the ANC. We are on a journey to rebuild the ANC, and we are rebuilding the ANC so that what happened to us in 2024 we put it behind us,” he said.

Ramaphosa said the ANC wanted to return to a position where it could govern again, rather than rely on other parties to remain in power.

“We must move past it on November 4, and we must show them that in 2029 we are coming back. In 2029, we shall lead again. The ANC must go back to its normal state; we shall govern again,” he said.

But University of KwaZulu-Natal academic Zakhele Ndlovu questioned the evidence behind Ramaphosa’s claim that the ANC was gaining momentum in the province.

Ndlovu questioned what evidence there was to support Ramaphosa’s claim, saying it appeared to be wishful thinking.

He said the ANC’s 2024 electoral decline was significant and pointed to the party finishing third in KwaZulu-Natal behind the MK Party and IFP.

Ndlovu said the changes within the ANC’s provincial leadership, including the return of former leaders Mike Mabuyakhulu and James Nxumalo, were among the developments within the party.

He said the ANC needed to improve service delivery if it wanted to rebuild support.

Ndlovu also identified the popularity of former president Jacob Zuma and the ANC’s failure to deliver on its promises as obstacles to regaining support.

UKZN academic and political analyst Dr Siyabonga Ntombela also questioned whether there was evidence of a recovery.

Ntombela said the timing of Ramaphosa’s comments was important because the country was in an election year and political parties would be seeking to build support.

“There is no strong evidence suggesting momentum gain. It is an election year after all; party leaders will say anything to secure votes,” Ntombela said.

Ntombela said the ANC’s provincial leadership had been reconfigured after the party’s 2024 decline, with a provincial task team led by Mike Mabuyakhulu now running the campaign.

He said the task team had claimed effective structures on the ground and close voter contact, but that the impact of those changes had yet to be tested when voters cast their ballots.

The ANC’s position in eThekwini also changed after the 2021 local government elections.

The party received 42% of the vote in the metro in 2021, after which it governed through a coalition.

Ntombela said the ANC now faced the challenge of rebuilding its support in eThekwini, where the MK Party received 48% of the vote in the 2024 elections.

He said the ANC would need to regain significant support to strengthen its position in the metro.

Service delivery remained another concern for the ANC, according to Ntombela.

He said poor service delivery had created resentment and discontent among eThekwini residents, while unfulfilled promises had contributed to voter dissatisfaction.

“Voters (rate payers) have not received value for money service delivery and that will work against the ANC come 4 November 2026,” Ntombela said.

Ramaphosa, however, said rebuilding the ANC would require stronger branches and greater engagement with communities.

He said the party needed to strengthen its branches so they could demonstrate that the ANC remained rooted in the communities it sought to govern.

“The ANC works well when it is fully in charge and when it is controlling the governments work. And for us to do so we must strengthen ourselves, our branches must be strong,” Ramaphosa said.