ANC at war with itself: Insiders fear factional battles could cost party votes - IOL

ANC insiders are worried that their party could lose the 2026 local government elections due to internal battles and factions.

The ANC is at war with itself ahead of the November 4 local government elections, with insiders warning that deepening factional battles and bitter candidate disputes could further fracture the party and cost it crucial votes at the ballot box.

ANC insiders have told IOL they are deeply concerned that unresolved internal disputes will further divide branches, weaken campaigning and drive frustrated members away at precisely the moment the party needs unity.

The growing fear inside the ANC is that the party could lose the election battle from within if bitter factions continue fighting instead of mobilising voters.

An insider said: “These battles are costly, and this now shows that we have not learned anything from the previous elections.”

“Factions have actually cost from way back because the ANC has now turned into a party of positions and not for the people. We won’t survive if we go on like this”.

The warning comes as disputes over candidate selection continue to expose tensions between national, provincial and regional structures.

Candidate lists are among the most politically sensitive issues in the ANC because they determine who receives the party's endorsement.

At the centre of the latest storm is ANC NEC member Andile Lungisa’s legal challenge against secretary-general Fikile Mbalula over his removal from the party’s candidate list for Nelson Mandela Bay.

Lungisa alleged that Mbalula personally and unlawfully ordered his removal.

The dispute has added another explosive confrontation between senior ANC figures at a time when the party is under pressure to present a united front to voters.

A senior insider said it was embarrassing for senior members to be in court because of candidate lists.

“This is not showing any sign of a confident and united front ahead of the elections. It simply shows a dysfunctional party that is not ready to govern outright,” the senior said

In Johannesburg, another controversy erupted around a veteran and anti-apartheid activist Frank Chikane, who had been recommended as a mayoral candidate but was left off the final list submitted to the electoral authorities.

The omission triggered confusion and political tension inside the organisation, with questions raised over whether local and national structures were pulling in different directions.

A leaked internal report attributed to Mbalula has further exposed the depth of the conflict.

The report reportedly blamed Eastern Cape provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi for changing candidate lists shortly before the submission deadline without the required mandate.

The allegations have intensified concerns about who controls the nomination process and whether factional interests are overriding decisions taken by ANC structures.

But the process has been clouded by complaints over vetting, administrative errors, competing political interests and disputes about whether local structures' preferences were respected.

The ANC has acknowledged serious problems in its candidate information.

Mbalula said an internal investigation found 252 incorrect identity numbers in candidate data, highlighting the scale of the administrative difficulties facing the party.

More than 350 councillor candidates were also removed during the final vetting process, adding to anxiety among branches and candidates who had expected to contest under the ANC banner.

For some insiders, however, the bigger threat is no longer the candidate lists themselves. It is what happens after the lists are settled.

ANC members who spoke about the internal tensions warned that candidates and activists who feel excluded could withdraw their support, campaign against preferred candidates or simply refuse to mobilise voters.

“We can’t afford these kinds of unnecessary wars and tensions because we have about a few weeks to prepare for the elections,” the insider said.

That concern echoes warnings that have surfaced within the party for years.

The ANC lost its national parliamentary majority in 2024 and is now attempting to rebuild its support through the local elections.

Its leadership has publicly set ambitious targets for electoral recovery.

But insiders fear that the organisation's greatest enemy may not be outside its gates.

It may be the factional warfare inside them.