ANC Candidate Crisis: Is Fikile Mbalula the worst SG of the ANC? - IOL

Fikile Mbalula inherited an ANC already in decline, but after its historic 2024 election collapse and another candidate nomination crisis, questions about the secretary-general’s organisational record are becoming harder to ignore.

When Fikile Mbalula declared last year that he was “the boss of the ANC at Luthuli House”, it was vintage Mbalula.

It was ANC Youth League Mbalula, confident, combative and unapologetic.

But authority comes with accountability.

And after the ANC missed the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s deadline to finalise some of its candidates for the November 4 local government elections, it is worth asking an uncomfortable question.

Is Fikile Mbalula the worst secretary-general the ANC has had in democratic South Africa?

To be fair, Mbalula did not create the ANC’s decline.

The party won 62.65% in 1994, climbed to 66.35% in 1999 and peaked at 69.69% in 2004.

Then the slide began. It fell to 65.90% in 2009, 62.15% in 2014 and 57.50% in 2019.

By the time Mbalula became SG in December 2022, he had inherited a party that had been losing support for almost two decades.

But what happened next was different.

In 2024, the ANC crashed to 40.18%, its worst national result since democracy.

Between 2004 and 2019, the ANC lost just over 12 percentage points in 15 years. Between 2019 and 2024, it lost more than 17 points in one election.

Mbalula cannot carry sole responsibility. Jacob Zuma, the emergence of the MK Party, corruption, unemployment, service delivery failures and years of voter frustration all played a role.

But Mbalula was not elected SG simply to watch the decline.

He sold himself as an organiser, and after his election, he said he was trained in “party construction” and was good at “organising, organisation development and building the organisation”.

The ANC constitution describes the SG as its chief administrative officer.

That means structures, systems, discipline and election readiness.

Which brings us to the latest mess.

When reports emerged that the ANC had failed to submit some candidates before the IEC deadline, Mbalula initially denied it.

“No, it’s not true. We submitted all our candidates and paid in advance,” he said.

The ANC later conceded that some entries were outstanding.

The dispute now involves 181 nominations across six municipalities - including eThekwini, a stronghold of the ANC.

The ANC blames technical problems. The IEC says there was no system failure and that the party simply ran out of time.

That would be bad enough if it were the first time.

In 2021, the ANC failed to submit candidates on time in 20 municipalities and 598 wards.

Who was heading the ANC’s elections operation then?

Once may be an administrative blunder but twice begins to look like a pattern.

Of course, Mbalula has competition for the title of worst SG.

Gwede Mantashe presided over deepening factionalism and major electoral losses.

Ace Magashule’s tenure descended into open warfare with his own party. After being suspended, he even tried to suspend President Cyril Ramaphosa.

However, if the test is electoral performance and organisational competence, Mbalula is building an uncomfortable case for himself.

Under his watch, the ANC lost its national majority, recorded its worst election result and now faces another candidate-list crisis.

Mbalula enjoys reminding everyone that he is the boss.

Perhaps ANC members should now ask a simpler question.

Lee Rondganger is the Deputy Editor of IOL.