ANC's 'own goals' raise alarm

Senior ANC leaders warn that controversies over Nkabane, Morero and Lesufi could cost the party crucial support in Johannesburg

- Mandisa Nyathi

Thorny issue: Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi and Joburg mayor Dada Morero.

Senior ANC leaders have warned that self-inflicted controversies are weakening the party's push to rebuild support before the 2026 municipal elections.

The issues include the promotion of former higher education minister Nobuhle Nkabane, internal disputes over Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero and backlash over Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi's hotel shower remarks.

Concerns from party insiders across provincial and national structures suggest that decisions taken at the top are making grassroots campaigning more difficult, just as the ANC faces pressure from its setbacks in the 2024 national elections.

Party leaders caution that the ANC could lose additional seats in the Johannesburg council, which is turning into the party's toughest battleground.

"We are expecting to decline in support by 5% in all the metros according to our internal research on the ground but these decisions and slip-ups will cost us more because the voters are watching," a senior ANC leader said.

At the centre of the growing unease is Nkabane's appointment as the ANC's deputy chief whip in the national assembly, placing her at the heart of the party's parliamentary operations despite her controversial removal from cabinet last year.

Speaking to the Mail & Guardian this week, several ANC leaders said that while members welcomed qualified candidates for the position, it would be difficult to explain to voters how the decision to appoint Nkabane had been reached.

In July last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed her from her position as higher education minister amid a controversy over her handling of Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) board appointments.