ANC faces election boycott threat as members demand action on nomination scandal

ANC faces fresh revolt as members threaten election boycott

The ANC is once again being confronted by unrest within its own ranks, as frustrated members warn they may stay away from the ballot box if the party continues to ignore findings into candidate list manipulation.

At the centre of the growing anger is the party’s failure to act on an internal report that investigated irregularities in the nomination of councillor candidates ahead of the 2021 local government elections. The issue has resurfaced sharply in North West, where most of the alleged manipulation occurred.

“The report has gathered dust”

Several ANC members, speaking anonymously out of fear of reprisals, accuse the party’s national leadership at Luthuli House of dragging its feet despite clear evidence of wrongdoing.

According to them, the findings of the Kgalema Motlanthe-led election committee, finalised in 2022, have never been properly implemented. The committee was tasked with probing claims that candidate lists were interfered with before the 2021 polls, allegations that later proved to have merit.

“The report has just gathered dust,” said one disgruntled member. “South Africa must know this is serious. If the ANC does nothing, they will sink further again.”

Proven irregularities, no consequences

The Motlanthe committee, working alongside members of the ANC’s North West provincial leadership, confirmed that there was interference in the nomination process. Yet, years later, those findings have not translated into visible corrective action or accountability.

For many branch-level members, the silence has deepened a sense of betrayal. In internal ANC culture, branch nominations are meant to reflect grassroots democracy a principle the party often highlights publicly. When those processes are undermined, trust between leadership and ordinary members erodes.

Boycott threat signals deeper crisis

The threat of an election boycott is not just symbolic. For a party already bruised by declining voter support in recent elections, internal disengagement could further weaken its ground campaign and turnout.

On social media and in political discussion forums, ANC supporters and critics alike are questioning how the party can campaign on renewal and accountability while failing to implement its own investigative findings.

While no formal boycott has yet been announced, the warning itself is a red flag not just about nominations, but about the widening gap between ANC leadership and its base.

A test of credibility ahead of elections

As local government elections approach, the ANC faces a critical choice: address the unresolved nomination scandal or risk further internal revolt. For members in North West, the issue is no longer about past elections it’s about whether the party still listens to its own people.

If left unaddressed, the fallout could extend beyond one province, turning internal frustration into yet another electoral headache for South Africa’s governing party.

{Source: The Citizen}

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