ANC and South African president Cyril Ramaphosa during a visit to Robben Island on Wednesday. (X/@MYANC)
As the ANC prepares for its January 8 statement on Saturday, party president Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed that it will surprise its critics in the 2026 local government elections.
For the first time in 30 years, the ANC failed last year to obtain its majority in the general elections to govern outright, forcing it to form a government of national unity (GNU) to grab some sort of power.
Most of the ANC’s critics do not believe it will ever govern alone again, but Ramaphosa put on a brave face this week, arguing that the party will make a big comeback when South Africa votes again.
Speaking during a cake-cutting ceremony at the ANC’s birthday celebration on Wednesday at the Athlone Civic Centre in Cape Town, Ramaphosa told party members that despite dipping below 50%, the ANC still leads the government.
“The president comes from the ANC. Many of the ministers are from the ANC. As we prepare for the 2026 elections, many will see what we will do in 2026,” he said.
“When they look at us, they say we have weakened, and we are being disrespected. We will end the disrespect in 2026. They will see who is the ANC,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the former liberation movement would not disappear, adding that many critics of the party thought it would cease to exist beyond the general elections last year.
“They thought we would not even get 30%. They were very disappointed. Even though we went down, the ANC is still alive,” he said. “The ANC lives. The ANC still leads and the ANC will continue to lead this country going forward. The ANC is a people’s movement whether they like it or not, it will always remain like that.”
Ramaphosa expressed similar sentiments in his January 8 address last year, when he said that the ANC would defy its critics and make it over the line in the 29 May national and provincial elections, and govern alone.
“When they look at us, they say the ANC is finished,” he said last year. “When they look at us, they say we are going to get less than 50%. Some are even saying that we are going to get 30%. This is being said by people who don’t know the ANC.”
“Try coming for us. You will find us ready for you,” Ramaphosa told supporters who had gathered for the event, held in Mpumalanga. “We want to go to the election so that we can separate those who are able to govern this country and those who are not,” he said at the time.
This year’s January 8 address by Ramaphosa, drafted by the national executive committee at its meeting earlier this week, is expected to heavily feature the government of national unity, which is opposed by many ANC members and its alliance partners.
This will be for the first time the party has to consider that it does not govern alone – therefore not being able to fully implement its plans for the upcoming year.
Speaking to Journalists following a visit to Robben Island on Wednesday, Ramaphosa said the January 8 statement usually gives an analysis of the moment that the country is in and that, at the moment, the GNU was a dominant issue following the election outcomes.
“We are going to have to cover that but. more importantly, the January 8 statement sets out priorities, it sets out priorities that we must embark on for the entire year and that is what we are going to be focusing on.”
The speech by the president is also expected to focus on the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act he signed into law on 13 September last year, a move which has been heavily criticised by the Democratic Alliance, with which the ANC co-governs.
The ANC views the Bela Act as a significant step in transforming the education sector and unlocking the potential to improve access to quality education in the country despite opposition from the DA and others.
The stabilisation of Eskom and other key state-owned enterprises are expected to be included in the speech.
Earlier in the week, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula recapped advances in governance – and renewal in the party – at a briefing ahead of the commemoration, an indication that these issues may also feature strongly in Saturday’s address.
Mbalula said that energy security in South Africa has taken a dramatic turn, with significant investments in renewable energy, infrastructure upgrades, and improved energy management strategies.
“Loadshedding, once a distinctive feature of the nation’s energy struggles, is now a thing of the past thanks to the implementation of the energy action plan. The ANC acknowledges that the driving force of economic stability lies in the country’s consistent power supply.”
Dealing with corruption and the legacy of the so-called state capture era is also expected to feature in Ramaphosa’s speech, including the permanent establishment of the Investigating Directorate which aims to tackle corruption and strengthen anti-money laundering laws, and the current work being done by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
Mbalula said the SIU had saved the South African government R8 billion in the 2023/24 financial year, including R2.28 billion in recoveries and R2.32 billion in losses through the cancellation of irregular contracts.
“Key recoveries include R710 million from Transnet, R500 million from Eskom, and R191 million from NSFAS. Additionally, the SIU conducted lifestyle audits and made 583 criminal referrals to the National Prosecuting Authority, driving efforts to hold individuals accountable and safeguard public funds.”
With the unemployment rate in the country sitting at 32.2% – youth being the most affected – the party will also address its members on how it plans to deal with this.
Ramaphosa said on Wednesday that empowering the youth remained an important task.
“We must open up opportunities for young people in our country, we must listen to young people and take their message,” Ramaphosa said.
Also much anticipated in the speech would be the renewal of the party.
Last year, after five years of talk about renewal, the ANC set the wheels in motion for what it said would be an era of accountability. However, tighter discipline and higher ethical standards may result in further membership losses for the party.
Mbalula used the build-up to announce that the ANC was pursuing disciplinary action against long-standing Jacob Zuma supporter and former NEC member Tony Yengeni over his public utterances as part of a crackdown on ill-discipline. Another NEC member, deputy minister Obed Bapela, has also been charged over an unauthorised trip to Morocco, in defiance of ANC policy.
Last year the NEC amended the terms of reference of the integrity commission, which is tasked with dealing with ethical and political complaints against members and serves as an advisory body to the executive committee on matters affecting the ANC’s public image and reputation.
The party also introduced a compulsory foundation course for all its members to improve the quality of its cadres through political education. Members of the NEC and provincial and regional leaders will be the first to undergo the five-module programme on the history, ethics and vision of the ANC.
The NEC also resolved that all MPs, MPLs and councillors must be involved in local issues through public meetings to try to regain ground lost, mainly to Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party.
The commission now has powers to recommend action against individuals found wanting.
New ANC members will be required to write a letter of motivation and will be vetted before being allowed to join the party, while existing membership will no longer automatically be renewed. They too will have to provide a motivation and will be screened to rid the party of criminal elements in its ranks.
Branch secretaries and executive committees will now be tasked with conducting interviews for recruitment.
On Wednesday, Ramaphosa said the party was renewing itself and would continue to rebuild the trust that the people of South Africa should have in the ANC.
“Even though others leave to go and start their own, the ANC will continue. From now on we are going to be stronger. We have already seen the signs, and a lot thought that the ANC is just going downhill. The recent surveys and recent elections show that the ANC is picking up, it’s coming back, it’s being rebuilt, it’s being renewed,” he said.