Cyril Ramaphosa urges ANC to end 'petty political squabbles' and reconnect with voters ahead of elections

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has given a candid reflection on the party's electoral decline following the party's poor showing at the 2024 general elections.

Speaking at the party's National General Council (NGC), Ramaphosa emphasised the need to end internal conflicts and reconnect with voters through door-to-door campaigns, which he said were not properly done in the build-up to last year's elections.

The NGC, which is the party's mid-term gathering to review its health and programmes, comes just as the party's succession debates have come into play, with reports indicating that Ramaphosa could be on his way out.

On Monday, Ramaphosa gave his NGC Political Overview, which kicked off the party's 5th National General Council (NGC) meeting at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni.

Ramaphosa said that for the party to return to its former glory, petty political squabbles must end and the renewal process of the ANC must triumph.

"The renewal of the ANC must be reflected in our everyday behaviour, in how we conduct ourselves and what we post on social media. Let us be known for excellence, ethics, humility, hard work, and competence...Renewal requires that we reaffirm the organisational culture and traditions of the ANC as a movement rooted among the people, representing their interests, concerns, and aspirations," he said.

On how to turn the situation around as the ANC is set to contest next year's local government elections without the backing of the SACP, Ramaphosa said there must be more of an effort for the party to go back to the ground.

He said people were not able to connect with ANC leaders, which could have contributed to the poor showing at last year's national elections, where, for the first time, the party failed to garner a 50% majority of the vote.

"We did not do vigorous door-to-door, and as a result, we saw so many people staying away from the polls. In part, it was largely because they had never been touched by the ANC visiting their homes. We must therefore, as we approach the next local government elections, ensure that we go back to basics. We must then go back to what has made us a strong organisation," he said.

The party's four-day NGC comes at a time when it has been beset by internal discussions on who is likely to succeed Ramaphosa, with the party saying those talks will only be entertained in 2027 at its next elective conference.

Ramaphosa said for the ANC to successfully regain the minds and hearts of the people, its structures must be grounded in reflecting the interests of the community it serves.

"Strengthening ANCs' structures is sacrosanct. All ANC structures must be grounded in the communities where they are located. The 55th Conference took resolutions on how to strengthen ANC branches to be more grounded among the people, and to develop programmes of action to respond to the community," he added.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za