ANC Dismisses Calls for President Ramaphosa to Resign

The African National Congress has dismissed growing calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign, declaring he is “going nowhere” despite the party’s electoral performance.

ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bengu made the statement on Thursday, ahead of a key party meeting.

ANC Leadership Rejects Resignation Push

“The President is going nowhere. There is no pressure on the part of this leadership for the President to leave,” Bengu said at a briefing in Boksburg. She dismissed reports of Ramaphosa considering resignation as “fabrication” and urged South Africans to treat them as such.

The ANC’s national vote share dropped from 45.59% in 2021 to 30.76% in the 2026 local government elections. Despite the decline, the party remained the largest nationally, with the Democratic Alliance at 24.64% and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party at 9.76%.

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Bengu defended Ramaphosa’s campaign leadership, saying he “ran and led the campaign with excellence” and was visible across the country. She acknowledged that questions about resignations could be part of future discussions once the party completes an election assessment.

Former President Mbeki Adds Pressure

Former president Thabo Mbeki has weighed in, suggesting Ramaphosa would be “right to step down” if reports of his resignation consideration were true. Speaking on a podcast, Mbeki said there was “nothing positive” to show for Ramaphosa’s leadership since 2018.

“In any normal democracy, if reports are correct, it would be correct for President Cyril Ramaphosa and the top seven to resign because that is the right thing to do,” Mbeki said.

Today the ANC convened a special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to consider and adopt a Mandating Guide for the ANC Negotiations Team and receive reports on initial engagements with other political parties. #ANCNEC pic.twitter.com/eGxtkjqJVB

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Youth League Pushes Back

ANC Youth League president Collen Malatji hit back at Mbeki, questioning why he did not resign when the ANC faced challenges under his leadership. Malatji blamed the party’s decline on the “old guard,” including Mbeki, pointing to the 1999 arms deal controversy.

“The first time we dealt with corruption behaviours of arms deals, it was under them, Thabo Mbeki and Tony Yengeni,” Malatji said, adding that the ANC’s brand began eroding then. He called for accountability from all leaders, including those who did not campaign for the party.

Party Leaders to Discuss Future Changes

Bengu said Mbeki should raise concerns within party structures rather than through the media. A full assessment of the election results is expected to lead to further discussions about leadership at a future NEC meeting.

Election Results Show Vote Share Decline

What did the ANC’s election results show?

The ANC’s national vote share dropped from 45.59% in 2021 to 30.76% in 2026, remaining the largest party.

Who is challenging Ramaphosa’s leadership?

Former president Thabo Mbeki has called for Ramaphosa and the top seven leadership to resign, while the ANC Youth League has defended the current leadership.

When will the ANC decide on leadership changes?

The party will complete a comprehensive election assessment before discussing possible resignations or leadership changes at a future NEC meeting.

Will the ANC’s internal divisions deepen as it confronts its electoral decline? The outcome is uncertain.