'ANC becoming rural party'

REPORT: PARTY'S VOTES FALL TO 34.7%, COALITIONS REPLACE DOMINANCE, SAYS MBALULA

- Itumeleng Mafisa

The ANC's midterm report reveals a shocking picture of a party slowly dying in urban areas, with an analyst reaffirming the view that it is becoming a rural party.

Secretary-general Fikile Mbalula delivered his report on the health of the party in all nine provinces at the national general council in Boksburg on Monday.

He said the ANC in Gauteng is challenged by several factors that have weakened the party, ushering it into a minority government after the 2024 general election.

He said workers in this province no longer believe in the promises of the ANC. Furthermore, he said, black professionals and entrepreneurs have also lost faith in the party.

Businesses have also raised concerns about the ANC's governance in South Africa's economic hub.

"In the 2024 elections, ANC support fell to 34.7% confirming a historic loss of hegemony and forcing the movement into a competitive coalition arrangement," he said.

"The ANC governs through coalitions in Joburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane. A provincial task team [PTT] was appointed to rebuild the organisation."

The ANC's membership in the province stands at 46 000, with only 178 branches in good standing.

Political analyst André Duvenhage said the ANC is becoming a rural party.

"The ANC has control over the traditional leadership in the rural areas; to that extent they are able to mobilise that support," he said.

"I have no doubt that they will be able to perform better in the rural areas and that excludes KZN, because that is a dynamic on its own.

"But we must also take into consideration that we are expecting a drop in support for the ANC. The drop will be stronger in the urban areas and in the metropolises."

Mbalula said KwaZulu-Natal has experienced a severe shift in the balance of forces since the 2021 local government elections.