Try GOLD - Free
Mbeki, Motlanthe urged to run for 2027 ANC presidency
The Mercury
|November 13, 2025
THE RACE for the ANC presidency in 2027 is rapidly gaining momentum, with influential lobbyists reportedly approaching former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe, along with billionaire Patrice Motsepe, to contest the leadership.
According to ANC insiders, the intense lobbying drive is framed as an attempt to arrest the party's decline and restore its battered image ahead of next year's local elections and the party's elective conference in 2027.
The internal campaigning is intensifying ahead of the ANC's national general council in December, where potential contenders for the 2027 leadership race are expected to begin testing their support and forming slates. Mbeki, who was recalled from the state presidency in 2008, is reportedly at the centre of the succession battle, with lobbyists urging him to return to the top post to help restore the party's dignity and standing.
This story is from the November 13, 2025 edition of The Mercury.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Mercury
The Mercury
Gazans launch clean-up drive
DOZENS of volunteers began cleaning the streets of Gaza City at the weekend, braving the rainy weather to restore vital infrastructure and remove rubble and debris left by the two-year war between Israel and Hamas, as part of a broader volunteer campaign.
1 mins
November 17, 2025
The Mercury
'Petty politics' behind Trump's G20 boycott
EXPERTS have sounded the alarm that US President Donald Trump's decision to boycott the G20 Summit in Johannesburg may have serious implications for South Africa's participation in global agendas, as it might be sidelined under the US's G20 presidency.
2 mins
November 17, 2025
The Mercury
Finding the gold in others: A journey of patience, commitment
LET US take a moment to acknowledge the profound truths about every individual we encounter:
1 min
November 17, 2025
The Mercury
VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT URGES ACTION AGAINST THREATS
VENEZUELAN President Nicolas Maduro, pictured, at the weekend called for a permanent vigil and mobilisation in the country's eastern region in response to the announcement of joint military exercises by the US and Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean.
1 min
November 17, 2025
The Mercury
Budget cuts in KZN's health department
Financial reallocations threaten service delivery in KwaZulu-Natal's health sector
3 mins
November 17, 2025
The Mercury
Shotguns and shenanigans
I FEEL I should share with readers my experiences of the past weekend, which did not quite follow my expectations.
2 mins
November 17, 2025
The Mercury
Inquiry into suspended DPP Andrew Chauke set to begin in Pretoria
THE Nkabinde inquiry into suspended director of public prosecutions (DPP), Johannesburg Advocate Andrew Chauke, will kick off today in Pretoria, with the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Shamila Batohi, scheduled as the first witness.
2 mins
November 17, 2025
The Mercury
New York mayor Mamdani is too divisive and will destroy America
TO ALL Mamdani praise singers, their hero combines duplicitous victimhood games, and overt bigotry to denigrates those he detests, such as Hindus.
1 mins
November 17, 2025
The Mercury
Ratings agencies see SA's medium-term growth rebounding above 1.5%
S&P expects SA's real GDP growth to rise 1.1% after a subdued 0.5% in 2024
3 mins
November 17, 2025
The Mercury
Mamdani is a threat to America
MUSLIM communist Zohran Mamdani, as described by Charlie Kirk not so long before his tragic passing, is posing a huge threat to America, the strongest economy in the world.
1 mins
November 17, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size