ANC sets sights on 2026 local government elections for redemption

JOHANNESBURG - The ANC says it will now shift its focus to the 2026 local government elections, particularly in provinces where it underperformed in this year’s general polls.

The party wants to reassert its dominance in municipalities across Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal – which is where it suffered electoral setbacks.

On Monday, the ANC’s national working committee met at Birchwood Hotel, in Boksburg, to reflect and review its dismal electoral performance.

ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula said the party wants to prevent a repeat of the significant setbacks it faced in the May 29th polls.

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He said the organisation had started to strategise ways to potentially avoid another major defeat in the 2026 local government elections.

Mbalula asserted that the ANC would no longer entertain coalition arrangements in municipalities that don’t benefit both the party and its constituencies.

“We will not be part of any arrangement that does not guarantee stability going forward. We are one year to go to the elections and municipalities must delivery for our people.” 

The ANC underperformed in the last two local government elections, resulting in the loss of its majority in the Gauteng metros.

Mbalula, meanwhile, says there is an urgent need to resolve the party's internal squabbles, suggesting they’re affecting its stability.

He said indications are that factionalism within the party is doing it more harm than good.

“Intra-party organisation challenges, ANC squabbles, and factionalism are a big problem where we did not pull through as a unit and a force in terms of the targets we set for ourselves. In certain areas, certain people didn’t come to the party.”