The ANC reconfigures its KwaZulu-Natal leadership, with Fikile Mbalula confirming Mike Mabuyakhulu’s appointment to lead the Provincial Task Team and oversee campaign and organisational work.
Image: ANC / X
African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has announced Mike Mabuyakhulu as the new provincial convener of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal.
He replaces Jeff Radebe as part of a reconfigured Provincial Task Team (PTT) that will lead the organisation’s election campaign and broader organisational renewal in the province.
Addressing the media in Durban on Wednesday, Mbalula said the decision followed the lapsing of the term of the previous PTT, which had been appointed in February 2025 with the mandate to build organisational structures in line with the ANC’s national conference resolutions, constitutional framework and election manifesto.
He said the National Working Committee (NWC) had acted on the mandate of the National Executive Committee (NEC) after the expiry of both the Provincial Task Team and Regional Task Teams, adding that their performance had been reviewed through engagements at the provincial level.
Mbalula said that, at this stage, only the officials of the PTT had been announced, with the full list of members to be released the following week, including the reconfiguration of Regional Task Teams across KwaZulu-Natal.
He said the ANC had made changes to the provincial structure following its assessment, and acknowledged outgoing leaders.
“We wish to thank Comrade Jeff Radebe who has now been reassigned to other tasks in the organisation, and that will be announced very soon in terms of the assignment of tasks to Comrade Jeff,” Mbalula said.
He added that Radebe was “a stalwart and the veteran of our movement who at all times is always available to do organisational work of the African National Congress.”
He also thanked Weziwe Thusi and Nomusa Dube-Ncube for their roles in the provincial structure.
Mbalula confirmed that Mabuyakhulu would serve as provincial convener, supported by Bongi Sithole-Moloi as first deputy provincial convener and Siboniso Duma as second deputy convener.
James Nxumalo was appointed provincial coordinator, with Siphesihle Mgaga as deputy coordinator, while Nomagugu Simelane would remain the provincial fundraiser.
He said the leadership would be supported by a broader team of PTT members that would take into account geographical spread, gender equality, youth and generational mix, organisational discipline and the national question.
Mbalula said the ANC had made a “thorough evaluation of the province and what we needed to do”, adding that the PTT would be supported by a programme of action and reinforced by the deployment of NEC members across all regions on a full-time basis, alongside organisers on the ground.
“The ANC will not go to other political parties. We will consolidate to reorganise and build a strong African National Congress in KwaZulu-Natal,” he said.
He added that all provinces had been instructed to convene regional general meetings over the weekend, including KwaZulu-Natal, where structures would be briefed on the resolutions of the special NEC meeting held in Johannesburg the previous Friday.
Mbalula said the ANC had already begun briefing alliance partners and would conclude consultations with SANCO, before engaging other internal structures including the Veterans League, Women’s League and Youth League.
“And then next week we will hold a media briefing in Johannesburg on the outcomes of the special executive committee. So everything that has been said about the special NEC is distorted in public. The ANC will speak for itself at all material times,” he said.
He outlined that the ANC’s top leadership, including national officials, the top seven, NWC and NEC members, would be deployed across Johannesburg on Monday, beginning with a media briefing on a local government action plan, followed by oversight work in the metro.
Mbalula said the leadership would then return to KwaZulu-Natal between Tuesday and Wednesday to continue organisational work, including in eThekwini, noting that candidate selection processes had already begun alongside demarcation and realignment processes.
“We need the PTT to hit the ground running,” he said.
“Root and branch, the task of rebuilding and building a united African National Congress has actually begun,” Mbalula said, adding that the interventions were “informed scientifically by the assessment we have made and what needs to be done in KwaZulu-Natal.”
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