Understanding the significance of the ANC’s 5th National General Council
Delegates attend the 5th ANC National General Council in Boksburg.
Image: Kamogelo Moichela / IOL Politics
The ANC’s 5th National General Council (NGC) opened in Boksburg on Monday, bringing together delegates from across the country to review the party’s progress and chart its direction ahead of the next national conference.
The Council is being held under the theme, “The Year of Renewal to Make the ANC a More Effective Instrument of the People to Achieve the Vision of the Freedom Charter: The People Shall Govern! The People Shall Share in the Wealth of the Country!”
What is the NGC?
The Council, which runs for several days, is the party’s second-highest decision-making body and is seen as a key platform for reflection, renewal, and internal debate.
The party says the Council has been convened to evaluate the implementation of resolutions adopted at its 55th National Conference.
It has described this year’s meeting as “a strategic moment for self-reflection, correction, and renewal,” aimed at ensuring that the organisation “remains the revolutionary movement of the people.”
The ANC also refers to the NGC as the movement’s largest “political school,” bringing together representatives from branches, regional and provincial structures, members of the National Executive Committee, the Leagues, Veterans, Members of Parliament, alliance partners, and formations of the mass democratic movement.
The party says this allows cadres to renew their commitment to the people and sharpen their understanding of the organisation’s historic mission and current political context.
Why is the NGC considered important?
The ANC says the 5th NGC is focused on rebuilding and strengthening the party as “a people’s revolutionary movement for the transformation of South Africa, the African continent, and the world.”
The gathering is presented as part of its broader renewal efforts, which include restoring discipline and reinforcing the ANC’s role as “a united, people-centred movement for social and economic justice.”
The Council is expected to provide what the organisation describes as “rigorous discussion, ideological engagement, and strategic direction” on the challenges confronting the movement.
The ANC says this is an opportunity to examine how it must adapt and reassert itself as “the moral, intellectual, and organisational leader of the National Democratic Revolution.”
How was the NGC prepared for?
Ahead of the sitting, the ANC released a Base Document to guide discussions within its structures. It says the document was intended to “raise critical questions and stimulate deep ideological engagement,” with debates starting at branch level so that “every cadre contributes to enriching the ideas and perspectives” that will inform the Council’s deliberations.
What will the NGC discuss?
Delegates are scheduled to consider the Political Report, the Midterm Report, reports from subcommittees, and the Financial Report.
The ANC says these documents form part of its collective reflection on the organisation’s state, progress, and renewal trajectory.
Why this moment matters
The party has framed the 5th NGC as a decisive phase in its renewal journey, describing it as a moment of “renewal, rebuilding, and recommitment.”
According to the party, the Council reaffirms its view that the organisation must remain “the most effective instrument of the people to achieve the vision of the Freedom Charter and advance the transformation of South African society.”
The NGC shapes the lead-up to the 56th National Conference, scheduled for December 2027.
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
IOL Politics