The ANC has resolved to reconfiguring the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng Provincial Executive Committees (PECs).
ANC President, Cyril Ramaphosa is said to have indicated that this will be done within ‘the parameters of the ANC Constitution’.
According to media reports, these were Ramaphosa’s closing remarks at the end of the two-day NEC meeting on Sunday as the NEC decided against the option to disband the PEC’s.
As things stand, this means that the leadership of the two provinces will be changed in a bid to strengthen the party following a disastrous showing at the May elections.
This comes as speculation was rife over the possible dissolution of the two structures.
Early on Sunday, ANC spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri revealed that the party was now only considering two options in relation to the future of Gauteng and KZN Provincial Executive Committees (PECs).
One of the options was a complete dissolution of the two provincial structures while another option was a reconfiguration of the leadership to help bolster the two provinces.
At the weekend, the party hosted its first ordinary national executive committee meeting at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg.
reported that as the party grapples with the aftermath of less than ideal electoral performances, party spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri indicated that the leadership of the party is now weighing just two options concerning the future of the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Provincial Executive Committees. This decision follows a weekend of intense deliberations during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Saturday and Sunday.
Initially, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula presented three potential pathways: the disbandment of the provincial structures, reinforcing their positions, or maintaining the status quo. However, after comprehensive discussions among NEC members, the options have been refined.
Bhengu-Motsiri confirmed that the focus has shifted to either reinforcing the provincial leadership or dissolving it altogether, given the ANC’s electoral setbacks.
The ANC has not forgotten its past failures either; since losing control of the Western Cape in 2009, it has struggled to regain its footing in what was once seen as a stronghold.
Motsiri-Bhengu indicated that the implications of these discussions are significant, as Gauteng and KZN are critical regions for the ANC, both politically and economically.
A decision to dissolve these committees or reinforce them could signal a major shift in strategy for the party ahead of future elections, with concerns about maintaining support growing ever more pressing.
“We initially had three options. There are now two options whether to reinforce the existing structures through a variety of solutions or to put the structures through a dissolution. The top officials presented the report to the National Working Committee (NWC).
“Leaving these two PECs the same way is no longer an option. This is precisely because there were serious organisational losses as well as service delivery losses which must be tackled head-on. Therefore, we were left these two options in terms of strengthening and rebuilding these two provinces,” she said.
