ANC says Ramaphosa will not be recalled or asked to resign after NEC meeting, Mbalula confirms

NEC decision: mandate remains intact

Speaking at a media briefing after the NEC met in Cape Town, Mbalula said the NEC did not consider removing the President from office. He repeated that resignation was not on the table and no discussion of recall took place.

Judgment seen as procedural, not a finding of guilt

Mbalula characterised the Constitutional Court judgment as addressing procedural issues in Parliament rather than the merits of the Section 89 process. He said the court did not order an impeachment process, did not find the President guilty of wrongdoing, and did not direct his removal from office, nor did it endorse the findings of the independent panel.

Legal route supported

The NEC, Mbalula confirmed, recorded unanimous support for President Ramaphosa’s decision to launch a High Court review of the independent panel report. He stressed that exercising constitutional rights is not an evasion of accountability but part of accountability itself.

Governance and constitutional democracy

Mbalula said the NEC received legal advice and viewed the judgment as contributing to the strengthening of constitutional democracy. He praised the Constitutional Court and Chief Justice Mandisa Maya and said the ruling should be seen as part of democratic “growth”.

The ANC, he added, reaffirmed Ramaphosa’s mandate as ANC president and head of government, noting his election at the 55th National Conference in Nasrec in 2022 and the mandate from the 2024 general election. The party will continue its governance work, including its programme to fix local government and transform the economy ahead of the 2026 municipal elections.

Continuity of government work

Mbalula said the Constitutional Court ruling would not disrupt government or party work. He said parliamentary and legal processes will continue while governance proceeds, and that the ANC will continue to govern within the framework of the Constitution while pursuing organisational renewal.

He emphasised that South Africa’s constitutional democracy is strong and will continue to be protected, and reiterated that accountability applies to all: “No one is above the law, and no one is under the law.”

Key quote

“The National Executive Committee did not consider the recall of the President, and resignation was not on the table.” Fikile Mbalula

What this means: The NEC’s position confirms party unity behind the President’s decision to seek a legal review and signals that the ANC intends to proceed with governance and election preparations while legal and parliamentary processes continue.

Notes: Source: IOL https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2026-05-15-anc-rules-out-ramaphosa-recall-or-resignation-after-nec-meeting-mbalula