Decided on Free State ANC, but can there be a purification in Luthuli House? | The citizen

There are no plans to dissolve or restructure the leadership of the ANC in the province of Free State, despite continuous challenges, but reportedly there is problems at the top structure of the party.

This weekend, officials from the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ANC visited De Vrije Staat as part of the efforts to strengthen the structures of the party and to improve the board in the region.

The visit comes when the province is confronted with increasing pressure to improve services and to restore the trust of the public prior to the local government’s elections of 2026.

In the national and provincial elections of last year, the ANC ensured a scary majority with 52.88% in the free state.

This meant a significant decrease in the 62.94% that the party reached in 2019.

Strengthening ANC structures in free state

Speaking to the media prior to the arrival of President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Windmill Casino in Bloemfontein, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri emphasized that the NWC’s visit is to strengthen party structures instead of resolving them.

“It is part of the renewal of the ANC. It is part of the reconstruction of the ANC, “she said on Sunday.

Also read: ‘The AC’s arrogance cost us’

Bhengu-Motsiri rejected all speculation about leadership changes in the province.

“This visit is not a visit about the dissolution of the provincial executive committee of the ANC.

“It is a visit from the organization to view the state of our structures and how we can strengthen the work that is being done.”

Currently the provincial executive committee of the ANC Free State (Peak) consists of Mxolisi Dukwana as chairman, Toto Ketso Makume as a deputy chairman, Polediso Hubert Motoeneng as provincial secretary, Dibbolelo Mahlatsi as a deputy provincial secretary and Mathabo Leeto as a provincial Schouwer.

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[WATCH LIVE] ANC spokesperson Cde Mahlengi Bhengu addresses the media for today #Ancnwc #Ancenewal https://t.co/ybnphcmlvH

– ANC – African National Congress (@Myanc) March 9, 2025

Bhengu-Motsiri further explained that the visit is also intended to assess governance and to guarantee efficient services in the province.

“It is also to look at the State of Directors in the province and how we can ensure that this province provides services to our people, municipalities provide our people at a faster pace, given the challenges of services we are dealing with,” she said.

“There will be a focus on the local government, municipality by the municipality. What is the state of directors in that municipality? What is the service in that municipality? “

ANC wants to tackle governance and services in the free state

Bhengu-Motsiri emphasized that the NWC would judge all factors that could undermine the unit or administrative standards of the ANC in the free state on Monday.

“We would look at everything that undermines good governance in this province, whether it is a municipality that is not properly ruled under the ANC, we will look at all those issues.

“There is no dissolution, dissolution on the agenda. It’s really about strengthening the province. ‘

Recognizing concern about the performance of the Mangaung metropolitan municipalityBhengu-Motsiri stated that urgent discussions were needed to take on his challenges.

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“It must keep us busy and the conversations we are going to have, especially tomorrow when we present reports that come from the five regions, including Mangaung where the metro is, and reports where we understand what the things are happening in the municipality that are threatening, that risk the implementation process of the elections.”

She emphasized the need for ‘difficult decisions’ to solve governance problems for the benefit of residents of free state.

“I can no longer emphasize that the ANC is concentrating and that they have set up a local government -intervention team because we now unlock all these challenges that we experience,” she said.

“If it is that ANC deployment is wrong, the ANC duty is bound to correct it because of the people of free state.”

Mbalula to harm for ANC presidential?

The spotlight on the free state has now been returned to Luthuli House, the headquarters of the ANC, amid reports of a purification by a top official.

According to the Sunday TimesANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula is confronted with accusations of utilizing his position to cover certain party members.

This is supposedly part of a broader strategy to strengthen its prospects for the ANC presidency prior to the National Conference of the party 2027.

Speculation suggests that Mbalula’s push to solve The Gauteng and Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) PECS are driven by political maneuver.

It is assumed that both provinces are reportedly tailored to vice -president Paul Mashatile is the successor to Ramaphosa.

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