The ANC is dead

Political analyst Prince Mashele said that the ANC is rotten to the core, entirely corrupt, and that it is not possible to save the organization.

Mashele is one of South Africa’s best-known political commentators and has written for the Sunday Times, Sunday Independent, Business Day, and Sowetan.

He is also a sought-after political consultant and has been a speechwriter for the South African Presidency and the Pan-African Parliament.

Mashele is a former Senior Research Fellow at GovInn and served as executive director of the Centre for Politics and Research.

Speaking to the Truth Report podcast, Mashele described the ANC as a dead horse which is so corrupt that it is beyond any possibility of reform.

“The ANC is dead. In my analysis of the future, I have completely turned off the ANC. It can never be reformed,” he said.

He explained that the ANC is dead because corruption is now both individual and institutional, which includes receiving money from rogue nations.

“It is thoroughly corrupt beyond repair. There is no one in the ANC who is not corrupt. The ANC does institutional and individual corruption,” he added.

“Individual ANC members steal money from the state. The party itself receives money from countries like Iran.”

Mashele said all South Africans, rich and poor, white and black, know that the ANC is a party of thieves.

“Nobody should entertain illusions that it is possible to repair the party. In 2029, the ANC will not be part of the government,” he said.

He added that anyone who enters the ANC today will inevitably be corrupted by it, and the party is rotten to the point where even capable leaders cannot save it.

Mashele said potential leaders like Patrice Motsepe or Paul Mashatile are merely trying to climb onto a dead horse.

He describes the ANC as the greatest liability for South Africa and predicts it will not be part of the government following the 2029 elections.

He argued that the only way forward for South Africa is to bypass the ANC entirely and form a new movement led by competent professionals from all racial groups.

The ANC’s plan for renewal

In January 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the ANC’s 114th-anniversary Statement at Moruleng Stadium in the North West.

He declared 2026 the year of decisive action to fix local government and transform the economy. This comes ahead of the local government elections.

As part of his speech, Ramaphosa said it was necessary for the ANC to engage in organizational renewal.

Ramaphosa was surprisingly blunt about the party’s internal state, noting that they must renew or perish.

The plan included expanding political education to all ANC members to restore revolutionary morality.

He also advocated for a commitment to run the party with zero tolerance for factionalism, vote-buying, or the vulgar display of wealth.

“We will run the ANC with zero tolerance towards corruption, ill-discipline, and factionalism,” he said.

The ANC President added that the ANC will govern South Africa effectively, ethically, and competently.

Ramaphosa said the ANC had to move back to being a movement rooted in service and sacrifice rather than careerism.

He highlighted that the ANC’s survival is no longer guaranteed by its history alone, citing the 2024 election results.

He framed renewal not as a choice, but as an existential necessity ahead of the 2026 local polls.