ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula told a special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Wednesday that President Cyril Ramaphosa's resignation would hurt the economy and put the party's unity at risk .
Image: ANC
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has warned party members that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s resignation would trigger severe economic instability and break party unity during the special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Wednesday
The meeting came in the wake of the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) judgment, which ruled that Parliament acted unconstitutionally when it blocked an impeachment inquiry against Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala farm scandal in December 2022.
The vote allowed the ANC to use its majority to reject the Section 89 panel report.
Following the ruling on Friday, Ramaphosa faced intense, renewed calls to resign from opposition parties and anti-Ramaphosa factions.
Ramaphosa was requested to recuse himself from the meeting because it concerned his future.
There were concerns that some members would call for Ramaphosa’s resignation ahead of the meeting.
However, Mbalula said Ramaphosa should not resign, citing risks to economic stability and ANC unity.
Political analyst Kim Heller described the stance as politics of fear, adding that this is a move of desperation and deception.
“Despite Ramaphosa’s promises of renewal both of the ANC and South Africa, he has been a dismal failure. The ANC has lost significant support; unity is more fragile than ever before, and the economy and unemployment rates are in the ICU. Ramaphosa is no saviour, he is a risk to the well-being of the nation,” she said.
Another political analyst, Prof Andre Duvenhage, said Mbalula is using whatever argument he can to safeguard Ramaphosa’s position.
He said Mbalula is also deflecting the argument in another direction, adding that this is not about the country’s economy but the Phala Phala scandal, which implicated Ramaphosa.
“Now he is putting economic things on this, and this is not a valid conclusion,” he said.
During his address to the nation on Monday evening, Ramaphosa announced that nothing in the ConCourt judgment compels him to resign.
He said stepping down would “give credence to a flawed report” and would mean abdicating his constitutional responsibilities.
The President said he would also take the 2022 independent panel report on review, insisting that it contains “grave flaws” and overstepped by finding prima facie evidence of misconduct.
Before the special NEC meeting, Mbalula and party chairperson Gwede Mantashe publicly rallied behind Ramaphosa, confirming he will not step down despite mounting pressure from opposition parties and the reactivation of parliamentary impeachment proceedings.
Mantashe stated on Newzroom Afrika that the ANC leadership told Ramaphosa that simply resigning would be 'devastating' for the party and that he should follow the due process of the law, rather than taking 'shortcuts'.
He stated that Ramaphosa was "relaxed and calm," prepared to allow the parliamentary process to take its course, as the party believes he has not violated the constitution, despite the findings of the independent panel.
Mbalula also indicated that the NEC will instruct its MPs on how to vote and interact with parties within the Government of National Unity (GNU) regarding the impeachment process.
ANC top officials on Thursday concluded a high-stakes briefing with the party's parliamentary caucus to align MPs, following the special National NEC session.
The national leadership met with MPs to enforce party discipline and issue strategic directives on how to handle the Phala Phala judicial fallout.
manyane.manyane@inl.co.za