The ANC’s Strategic Reassessment and Path Forward
The African National Congress (ANC) is preparing for a pivotal moment in its political journey as it gears up for its annual Statement event scheduled for January 8 at Moruleng Stadium in the North West. This gathering, which marks the party’s anniversary, will feature a speech by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is expected to outline the political agenda and set priorities for the year ahead.
Ramaphosa has emphasized the importance of regaining lost ground following the 2024 national and provincial elections, where the ANC secured only 40% of the national vote. This marked a significant setback for the party, as it lost majority control at the national level and in two provinces—Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
In his closing address at the National General Council (NGC) in December, Ramaphosa highlighted the need for the ANC to field its most dedicated, honest, and competent candidates for the upcoming local government elections. He stressed the importance of direct engagement with voters, explaining why the ANC remains the only party capable of meeting the needs of all South Africans.
Political Report and Lessons Learned
The political report presented by Ramaphosa at the NGC revealed that the 2024 election was a severe strategic setback for the ANC. The report attributed the decline in support to several factors, including the formation of the MK Party, which took a significant portion of the ANC’s vote in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as dissatisfaction with the state of the economy and continuing unemployment.
ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu emphasized the critical role of local government in service delivery, noting that despite intense political contestation and media scrutiny, the ANC performed well in by-elections, retained and reclaimed key wards, and consolidated support with improved turnout. She also highlighted the clear message from the people that the ANC remains their movement but must govern better, act decisively, and ensure accountability.
Mid-Term Assessment and Strategic Adjustments
Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula provided a frank assessment of the ANC’s performance during the mid-term report to the NGC. He noted that the elections research presented to the 55th National Conference signaled a warning that had elections been held in 2022, the ANC would have received just 33% of the popular vote, improving slightly to 38% by March 2024. The actual 2024 results confirmed this trend.
Mbalula identified several critical lessons from the 2024 election results, including the failure to factor in declining ANC vote trends in by-elections and practicing denialism regarding research findings and poor service delivery. Despite four consecutive conferences warning of electoral decline, the ANC failed to improve service delivery.
2026 Local Government Election Strategy
As part of its 2026 local government election strategy, the Elections and Campaign Unit hosted a National Election Strategy Workshop in April 2025 in Ekurhuleni, attended by all nine provinces and 52 regions. The workshop identified several critical factors contributing to the ANC’s significant decline in the 2024 general elections, including over four million ANC voters who stayed home compared to 2019.
Mbalula outlined a four-phase campaign plan, including laying the foundation, Mayihlome, Siyanqoba, and Call to Vote. Phase one has been undertaken by conducting provincial strategy workshops in all provinces, followed by metro and big city or strategic town workshops. Eight provinces have completed workshops, while the Western Cape remains outstanding due to conferences and resource constraints.
Implementation and Urgent Tasks
Mbalula also emphasized urgent tasks, including appointing full-time coordinators for 205 local election teams, 4,500 branch election team coordinators, and 23,000 voting district coordinators. Training at least 200,000 volunteers and fully capacitating 23,000 voting district coordinators, 4,500 branch election team coordinators, and approximately 250 local election coordinators was to be done by January 2026.
An Election Fundraising Team is dedicated to securing resources, with allocations ring-fenced for each campaign phase, and a national budget covering research, training, volunteer support, media, materials, events, and voter mobilisation.
The Turning Point
Mbalula emphasized that the turning point in public sentiment depends on visible, credible action by the ANC-led Government of National Unity in addressing service delivery failures. He stated that the performance of deployees across all spheres of government is crucial, as voter mood cannot improve without demonstrable intention and action to fix problems.
The Mayihlome Phase begins in January 2026, with projections requiring that all election structures be established and trained by the end of January to enable ground forces to launch a voter-centred, contact-based campaign.
