SA politics: Andile Lungisa sparks storm in ANC over NEC disbandment call
Andile Lungisa
The African National Congress (ANC) is once again grappling with internal turbulence — and this time, it’s NEC member Andile Lungisa who has lit the match. In a move that stunned many within the party’s highest decision-making body, Lungisa has openly called for the National Executive Committee (NEC) to be dissolved, accusing it of political bankruptcy and failure to lead.
Behind the closed doors of last week’s NEC meeting, held in the East Rand, tensions reportedly reached boiling point. Lungisa is understood to have delivered a blistering critique of the leadership, saying the NEC had not only failed to unite the ANC but had presided over one of the most damaging periods in its post-apartheid history. “This NEC cannot unite the movement, it cannot reform the ANC, and it cannot be trusted to lead renewal,” Lungisa is believed to have told the gathering — remarks that insiders say drew murmurs of agreement from some members.
The immediate flashpoint was frustration over the ANC’s dismal electoral performance and the growing unease about the Government of National Unity (GNU), formed alongside the Democratic Alliance (DA). For many in the party, the GNU represents an ideological compromise that has blurred the ANC’s identity and alienated its base.
Lungisa’s intervention wasn’t limited to criticism. He proposed a bold transitional leadership structure, with former president Thabo Mbeki serving as convener and former deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe as coordinator. The aim, according to sources, would be to restore credibility, enforce organisational discipline, and prepare the ANC for a serious programme of renewal ahead of its next national conference. This suggestion echoes calls made after the party’s bruising 2024 election performance, when some members urged a clean sweep of the NEC to stem further decline.
The numbers paint a grim picture. The ANC’s support dropped to 40% in the 2024 general election — its worst showing in history — with the breakaway uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, capturing large swathes of its traditional support base, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal. Critics inside the party argue that Zuma’s departure was mishandled, creating an opening for MK to thrive. “We handed over our strongholds without a fight,” one NEC insider admitted.
Lungisa’s frustration also extends to the ANC’s inability to respond to South Africa’s deepening economic woes, unemployment crisis, and the decline of state-owned enterprises. He has accused the leadership of ceding control to private interests and failing to develop coherent policy positions.
While Lungisa stopped short of tabling a formal motion to dissolve the NEC, his comments have set off a wave of introspection — and possibly, a reckoning. Some within the NEC are said to share his concerns privately, though few are willing to voice them publicly.
For now, ANC officials remain tight-lipped. When contacted by The Star in a brief phone call, Lungisa would only say: “The discussions in the NEC are not public, so I cannot comment on what you’ve heard.” Whether his call for a radical overhaul gathers momentum or fizzles out will depend on how deep the frustration runs within the ranks — and whether the ANC’s leadership can chart a convincing path out of its current crisis.
