The minister quietly being lobbied to stand as the ANC’s next president

Minister of Electricity and Energy Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has confirmed that he has been approached by party members to run for the African National Congress (ANC) presidential race.

In a recent interview with the Sunday World, the Minister admitted that he knows that his name is currently circulating in the public domain regarding the succession debate.

When questioned about the succession race and whether he would accept a nomination if he reached the necessary threshold, Ramokgopa was candid about the internal movements within the party.

“I’ve been approached, that much I confirm,” he said, noting that it would be “naive” to suggest otherwise, given that his name is already being discussed publicly.

However, he said that while these approaches are a “matter of fact,” his immediate priority remains the party’s performance in the upcoming 2026 local government elections and current electoral challenges.

He argued that discussing the 2027 elective conference is premature if the ANC does not first secure a victory in 2026, given that the ANC fell to 40% in 2024.

He said that a “catastrophic election” in 2026 could result in the ANC being relegated to the opposition benches across the country’s local councils, rendering the 2027 leadership debate moot. “Let’s get 2026 right.”

Other names that have been floated to succeed President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2027 include:

• Deputy President Paul Mashatile;
• ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula;
• National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza.

Service delivery woes

The Minister’s comments come at a time when he is heavily engaged in speaking with residents about service delivery failures, particularly in the North West province.

During a week-long deployment to the region, Ramokgopa said that he witnessed firsthand the “spectacular” and “catastrophic” failures of certain municipalities.

He noted that while there are talented and capable councillors, the failures, such as pot-holes, infrastructure collapse, and water issues, are impossible to ignore.

The minister contrasted post-apartheid gains with current service delivery failures, noting that household access to electricity has risen from 38% before 1994 to 94% today.

However, he said the present reality is marked by load reduction, crumbling infrastructure and poor maintenance of basic assets such as roads.

Ramokgopa argued that the ANC must refocus on the core functions of local government to rebuild public trust, including reliable electricity supply, water quality, grass cutting and pothole repairs.

He said resolving governance challenges in the North West could serve as a blueprint for fixing service delivery nationwide.

While acknowledging that debates over leadership succession are inevitable ahead of the party’s conference, he said his priority remains accelerating implementation and delivering tangible results in his capacity as minister and ANC activist.

Any decision on presidential ambitions, he added, would be made at the appropriate time.

Who is Kgosientsho Ramokgopa?

Kgosientsho “Sputla” Ramokgopa was born on January 25, 1975, in Ga-Ramokgopa village in Limpopo province.

He earned a BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Durban-Westville, now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where he was active in student politics through the South African Students Congress (SASCO) and the ANC Youth League.

He later obtained a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Business Leadership, culminating in a PhD in Public Affairs from the University of Pretoria.

He also serves as a Professor of Practice at the University of Johannesburg’s School of Public Management, Governance, and Public Policy.

Ramokgopa entered formal politics as an ANC ward councillor in Tshwane from 2000 to 2005.

After a period in the public and private sectors, including roles as CEO of the Metropolitan Trading Company and Johannesburg Market, he returned in 2010.

He served as Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane until 2016, becoming one of the youngest mayors of a major metropolitan municipality at the time.

In 2019, he briefly served as Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Agriculture, and Environment before resigning to align with ANC gender parity rules.

Ramaphosa then appointed him head of the Investment and Infrastructure unit in the Presidency.

In March 2023, amid South Africa’s severe energy crisis, Ramokgopa was named the country’s first Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity.

Following the 2024 elections and cabinet reshuffle, he assumed the role of Minister of Electricity and Energy on July 3, 2024, overseeing efforts to address load-shedding, Eskom reforms, and energy security.

As an ANC National Executive Committee member, he remains influential in party affairs.