ANC defends Ramaphosa and sets coalition conditions
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Isolezwe
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Motsiri said Cyril Ramaphosa does not have to resign as party president, attributing the ANC’s decline in the municipal vote to factors other than him. ANC leaders are meeting in Johannesburg to set conditions for future coalitions with other parties.
ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Motsiri said on Thursday 12 November that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa would remain at the head of the party and that no pressure was being put on him to resign. She rejected the idea that the ANC’s electoral decline was linked to Ramaphosa’s campaign, during a press conference in Johannesburg, Isolezwe reports.
The meeting of the ANC’s National Executive Committee is notably due to set the conditions its representatives will use to negotiate with other political parties. Motsiri said the party would retain the policies applied in the last elections and would clarify on Friday the principles governing cooperation agreements, according to Isolezwe.
The ANC has ruled out supporting a partner seeking to alter the principles adopted to address the effects of apartheid, Motsiri said. The meeting also includes ANC allies, including Cosatu and Umkhonto weSizwe veterans, according to the spokesperson.
The meeting comes after the ANC’s decision announced on 9 November to review its alliances ahead of its 2027 congress, the review of ANC alliances. It also follows calls by former South African president Thabo Mbeki for the ANC leadership to resign on 10 November, followed by exchanges between Mbeki and the ANC Youth League on 11 November.
