ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula who has not minced his words about the performance of the ANC Provincial Task Team in KwaZulu-Natal. The task team was supposed to organise elections for November but failed to meet the deadline elect a new leadership for the provincial and regional structures of the party.
Image: Independent Newspapers Archives
Speculation over the future of the African National Congress (ANC) KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Task Team (PTT) has resurfaced amid frequent visits by the party’s national leadership to the province.
A national delegation led by Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has intensified its oversight, holding multiple engagements with the provincial leadership. The most recent meeting took place this past weekend, bringing together the KZN PTT and various regional task teams.
The national leadership’s check-ins began on February 21 with an initial meeting with the PTT. However, concerns about the structure’s future date back to December, when Mbalula expressed dissatisfaction with its performance on the sidelines of the ANC’s National General Council.
In remarks that sparked widespread debate, Mbalula said the KZN PTT had failed to fulfil its mandate. He famously likened the structure to a Toyota Tazz when a Ferrari was expected, adding that it could be disbanded by February and that its size, currently more than 60 members, might be reduced.
ANC KZN PTT Coordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu responded indirectly to the comparison, praising the Toyota Tazz as a reliable and relatable family car, in contrast to the exclusivity of a Ferrari.
ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri declined to comment on the task team’s immediate future, saying no final decision has been made on whether it will be disbanded. She confirmed that although the PTT’s term of office has expired, the national leadership may extend it.
The PTT was initially given nine months to organise a provincial elective conference to establish new provincial and regional leadership structures. However, the team missed the November deadline and attended the National General Council without having convened the conference.
Provincial and regional elections are now expected to take place next month.
An ANC insider suggested that disbanding the PTT at this stage is unlikely, particularly with local government elections anticipated in November. Dissolving the task team would likely push internal provincial elections beyond the municipal polls.
“Local government election campaigns should begin soon. An elective conference now could disrupt preparations, as ANC conferences often deepen internal divisions, with those who lose sometimes disengaging from the party,” the insider said.
As the ANC navigates internal restructuring in KwaZulu-Natal, the coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether stability or further organisational change lies ahead for the province. The uMkhonto weSizwe Party has also recently reached out to ANC KZN with an aim of discussing a coalition government for the province.
In December last year, the National Freedom Party announced its withdrawal from the Government of Provincial Unity that is led by the IFP, in partnership with the ANC and the DA.