Panyaza Lesufi’s leadership in Gauteng faces scrutiny as ANC weighs dissolving the provincial committee over election failures.
The future of Panyaza Lesufi at the helm of the ANC Gauteng was hanging in the balance late yesterday as the ANC top brass discussed the idea of dissolving the party’s provincial executive committee (PEC).
The national working committee (NWC), the highest decision-making body between ANC national executive committee meetings, was locked in a meeting with the PEC in Boksburg until late.
The national leadership was dissatisfied with the electoral outcomes in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, where it received 34.76% in the May elections, down from 50.19% in 2019, and 17% from 54.2% respectively.
ANC national leadership dissatisfied with election outcome
Lesufi and his committee were summoned by Luthuli House to appear before the NWC, but the gathering dragged on from noon, indicating the tension over the imminent decision to fire the entire Gauteng PEC and replace it with an interim task team.
Indications were that Lesufi would be tamed and put in his place as Ramaphosa forges ahead with the multiparty government of national unity, which Lesufi is vehemently opposed to.
A source close to Gauteng ANC said Lesufi might not be kept to lead the temporary structure and could be sidelined, but allowed to remain as premier.
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“Another comrade, probably Nomhantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, is likely to be chosen as an interim provincial convenor. You can’t expect the same (PEC) structure to lead the process, otherwise what’s the use of disbanding them? They are likely to be moved around,” the ANC insider said.
Nkomo-Ralehoko is Lesufi’s deputy in the ANC and MEC for health in Gauteng government.
Another insider said Lesufi was being targeted because of his uncompromising stance against the government of national unity. That had embarrassed Ramaphosaa, who expected everybody to pull in one direction in the light of a threat from Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.
Lesufi targeted for GNU stance
“The stakes in Gauteng are very high. I know that number two [Deputy President Paul Mashatile] wants the structures to be retained, but there is a strong push for Panyaza to go. Although Panyaza is not part of the Alex mafia, he is there at their blessing. Those are Paul Mashatile’s boys, but they will be humbled by the NWC,” the insider said.
The convenor of the interim structure would depend on consultation with the ANC alliance partners. “They can’t move to violate the already delicate relations within the alliance. I think they would want to thread carefully,” he said.
A province-based ANC member said the meeting was meant to deal with the Gauteng situation, while an axe was still sharpened for KwaZulu-Natal, which was spared last time.
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Initially, there were fears if the ANC acted against Gauteng, there might be a breakaway, with Gauteng going its own way, perhaps to join MK. But it’s clear the party is prepared to lose certain people as it cleanses itself of rogue elements.
The intraparty tension came after the SA Communist Party threatened to contest the future elections separately from the ANC, but without leaving the alliance. Some saw the move as the beginning of the end of the struggle era “blood alliance”.
Political analyst Daniel Silke said the differences over the constitution of the GNU have spilled over into the ANC succession and the power battles. He said Lesufi stood out because he openly distanced himself from the GNU, or unity with the DA.
GNU differences spill into succession and power battles
“It is difficult for Ramaphosa to steer forward the ANC, hold party structures accountable for poor performance in the election and have unity of purpose on the constitution of the GNU. He is trying to manage all these at the same time,” Silke said.
The outcome of the NWC meeting was not yet known at the time of going to print.
