ANC’s internal squabbles dampen hopes

The internal squabbles of the ANC show no sign of easing. Instead, they are intensifying, with the Eastern Cape once again at the centre of controversy.

What began as factional battles over provincial leadership has escalated into a legal confrontation between ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and Eastern Cape provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi.

The dispute stems from candidate nominations for the upcoming local government elections and the postponed provincial conference.

Ngcukayitobi is suing Mbalula for defamation. He claims Mbalula falsely accused him of failing to submit the ANC’s candidate list to the Electoral Commission of South Africa on time, thereby jeopardising the party’s participation in key municipalities.

Ngcukayitobi’s lawyers argue that Mbalula published defamatory statements in the media between 13 and 14 September, including a front-page article in the Sunday Times headlined “ANC’s ‘mea culpa’ on election candidates based on Mbalula’s account”, which alleged Ngcukayitobi was responsible for the late submission of lists in the Eastern Cape.

According to Ngcukayitobi’s lawyers, Mbalula publicly said Ngcukayitobi’s negligence forced the secretary-general’s office to intervene at the last minute, submitting the lists at 4.30pm on the IEC’s deadline day, 28 August.

Ngcukayitobi insists this narrative is false and damaging, portraying him as incompetent and undermining his integrity.

His lawyers further contend that Mbalula implied Ngcukayitobi may have altered the NEC approved list, a suggestion that would amount to a breach of ANC rules and prejudice communities relying on fair representation.

Now, Ngcukayitobi has turned the tables on Mbalula, accusing him of altering the lists.

He claims Mbalula instructed the changes, including removing ANC PEC member Andile Lungisa from the Nelson Mandela Bay PR list.

In his view, Mbalula’s accusations are motivated by malice and designed to shift blame away from his failures as the party’s administrative head.

He also claimed Mbalula allegedly engineered an illegal provincial conference in March, installed a provincial task team in defiance of the legitimate PEC and sidelined Ngcukayitobi in the process.

For him, the defamation case is not just about reputation, it is about exposing what he sees as a systematic attempt to weaken his authority and consolidate control from Luthuli House so as to install a provincial secretary who would support Mbalula’s ANC presidential ambitions.

This legal battle is unfolding against the backdrop of the ANC’s preparations for the November local government elections.

The party is already struggling with internal divisions, declining public trust and logistical challenges in candidate selection, including failure to submit at least 181 candidates, mainly from the Eastern Cape, to the IEC.

The spectacle of its secretary-general and a provincial secretary locked in litigation only deepens perceptions of dysfunction.

If Ngcukayitobi succeeds in court, Mbalula’s credibility as the party’s chief administrator will be damaged, reinforcing suspicion that he is manipulating processes from Luthuli House.

If Mbalula prevails, Ngcukayitobi’s position in the Eastern Cape may become untenable.

Either way, the ANC risks entering the elections with weakened leadership and fractured unity, from a province that is one of its electoral strongholds.

The confrontation between Ngcukayitobi and Mbalula is symptomatic of the ANC’s broader crisis.

The damage is done. The ANC enters the race under a cloud of division, with its credibility weakened.