ANC deputy SG says party willing to ‘work with everyone’ in post-election coalitions

Introspection and cooperation are the immediate takeaways from the early batches of election results for the ANC.

These were the sentiments of the party’s deputy secretary-general (SG), Nomvula Mokonyane, as she fielded questions from the media on the floor of the results operations centre on Thursday.

While the ANC was still the most popular party nationally after the counting of 45% of the votes, it had a less than 6% lead over the DA.

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Mokonyane brushed off suggestions that the party was fading in relevance, saying the ANC was always learning from the feedback given to it by voters.

“We do not believe that we must see ourselves as a party that will disappear in the struggles of our people. In fact, this gives us an opportunity to repackage and renew the ANC,” the deputy SG said.

Coalition discussions ‘premature’

The trickle of results on Thursday began to paint a picture of coalition councils becoming common once the final tallies are verified.

Mokonyane said the party had demonstrated its ability to partner with parties across the political spectrum, noting it was currently involved in multiple coalitions.

“The ANC has a rich history of working together with other parties. It is premature for us to start talking, because the ANC is open to talk to everyone and work with everyone.

“As long as we ensure that there is stability. Number two, as long as we ensure that those six pillars that are contained in our manifesto are also reflected [in] what that political party stands for,” she told the gathered media.

Mokonyane was asked about rumours that the ANC and the DA had already begun negotiating the leadership positions of major metros, but quickly squashed the thought.

“That’s a gossip and we can’t entertain a gossip. It does not exist in our discussions,” Mokonyane said.

‘The ANC is yet to be condemned’

Pressed on whether she thought the ANC had truly improved in recent years, Mokonyane said “renewal is not time-bound”, explaining the party’s internal processes would eventually yield positive change.

“The struggle continues. We are renewing ourselves, and some of the work that we have done going to local government was part of the renewal of the ANC.

“The ANC is yet to be condemned. What you see now compared to 2024 is totally different,” she stressed.

Mokonyane said the campaign aimed to speak to voters and the issues in their daily lives, adding that the ANC would become more community-driven.

“Our renewal must go beyond just building ANC branches, but it must be about building relationships and be seen resolving people’s issues, even where we are not governing,” the deputy SG concluded.