Rival Motsepe lobby groups battle for control of ANC campaign

Latest group is led by Mondli Mchunu

- By Setumo Stone

A fierce contest has erupted among lobby groups backing billionaire Patrice Motsepe's potential ANC presidential bid, with rival factions battling for control of branch structures and accusing each other of attempting to hijack the campaign ahead of the party's 2027 leadership race.

The latest #M27 lobby group, led by KwaZulu-Natal-based Mondli Mchunu, a former organiser of the 2022 push for suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu to become ANC secretary-general, insists it represents an authentic internal campaign rooted in ANC branches rather than public-facing lobbying.

On Friday, Mchunu distanced his formation from other Motsepe-aligned groupings, including one associated with government communications strategist Ishmael Mnisi, suggesting some organisers had already been removed from ANC-aligned platforms.

"It is that PM27, and that's why they are being removed in all ANC groups," Mchunu said when asked about tensions between the formations.

Pressed on whether rival groupings linked to other organisers were separate from his structure, Mchunu replied, "I don't know those people. People are hijacking the struggle."

He added that his network's focus was firmly on internal ANC work: "Yes... we focused on rebuilding branches."