Eish, the 2027 ANC Presidential Race Is Open

Published in the Sunday Times 08 March 2026

South Africa’s political landscape has long been shaped by the African National Congress (ANC), a movement whose identity is deeply woven into the democratic project born in 1994. Today, however, the ANC faces a pivotal moment. Its authority, once anchored in collective discipline and ideological clarity, is increasingly undermined by the rise of personal ambition over organisational purpose. The internal contestation ahead of the 2027 elective conference is not merely a political event; it is a national moment of reckoning.

The shift from movement-centred leadership to personality-driven politics is no longer subtle. It has fractured the party’s internal coherence and crowded out the values that once distinguished the ANC as a moral force. Factional interests now overshadow ideological debates, and transactional politics has taken root where principled engagement once stood. The result is a party whose internal battles reverberate outward, altering the quality of governance and undermining public confidence, on which democratic legitimacy depends.

At the heart of the issue lies a leadership selection process increasingly shaped by financial muscle and delegate arithmetic. In practice, those who can fund extensive campaigns gain disproportionate influence, regardless of their leadership capability or ethical track record. This dynamic undermines democratic credibility. Leadership contests should be about vision, competence, and integrity, not about who can mobilise the most resources or secure the most powerful backers.

But renewal remains possible. The ANC remains a movement of South Africans, accountable not only to its members but also to millions who still look to it for stewardship and stability. Ethical renewal within the party cannot be merely rhetorical; it must be structural. Transparent rules for leadership campaigns, mandatory disclosure of funding sources, empowered integrity bodies, and fair, auditable nomination processes would go a long way towards restoring public trust. Reforming internal systems is not merely an organisational imperative; it is a democratic necessity.

Internal instability inevitably spills into governance. Factional stalemates manifest as delays in decision-making, inconsistent service delivery, and a decline in institutional capacity. Citizens experience these failures directly through dry taps, unstable electricity, and deteriorating infrastructure. The ANC must rebuild trust by strengthening procurement transparency, investing in credible monitoring and evaluation systems, and creating channels for direct community feedback. A party that cannot stabilise itself cannot stabilise the nation.

A credible renewal agenda must prioritise ethical governance. This begins with codifying transparent campaign rules for leadership and empowering integrity structures with real authority. Lifestyle audits for deployees, performance-based leadership contracts, and accelerated disciplinary processes would demonstrate a serious commitment to accountability. Branch-level nomination processes must be transparent, auditable, and free of gatekeeping to ensure leadership is earned, not purchased.

These pressures are magnified by the context in which the post-2027 ANC Conference-elected leadership will govern. South Africa faces profound challenges: the global shift towards artificial intelligence and automation, the volatility of a Trump-Netanyahu-style geopolitical order, and escalating domestic crises in water, energy, and logistics infrastructure. Meanwhile, coalition governments, which will be cemented inarguably through the 2026 municipal elections, will demand political maturity, negotiation skills, and a commitment to shared governance. The post-2027 leadership the ANC elects will inherit not only a political organisation but also a country in transition.

Coalitions will remain a permanent feature of South African politics. The ANC must adapt by developing public, outcomes-based coalition agreements anchored in clear minimum programmes. These agreements should include budgetary safeguards, dispute-resolution mechanisms, and measurable performance indicators. At the municipal level, coalition stability depends on professionalised administrations in which technical appointments are insulated from political interference, ensuring continuity in service delivery despite political shifts. Coalition arrangements are not a detour or a strategic setback; they are the new path of politics.

Despite public statements to the contrary, the ANC’s succession race is already underway. Provincial and regional contests have become the party’s de facto primaries, shaping alliances and signalling which factions hold the upper hand. These battles illuminate deeper structural challenges within the movement: fragmented branches, inconsistent accountability, and the absence of a unifying national vision. The horses have already bolted; denying that the race is open only obscures necessary debate.

It should be worrying to ANC President wannabes to be confronted with a well-written webpage, potentially backed by a highly skilled personal branding agency, promoting a candidate who has not yet declared interest in the position. Given the reality of ANC branches and ultimately delegates to its elective conference being on the market for the highest bidder, the entry of a financially resourced potential candidate is changing the financial projections made to win the conference. The calculus has moved.

Whichever leadership succession scenario unfolds, the stakes are high. South Africa needs an ANC capable of anchoring its stability while driving renewal. The ANC can still rise to this challenge, but only if it embraces the difficult work of structural reform and ethical rebuilding. The race is open, and what is at stake is not merely leadership positions but the future of a nation still striving to fulfil its constitutional promise. If money can buy us the promise, so be it.