Fikile Mbalula holds 2027 ANC presidential cards close to chest

African National Congress (ANC) Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has dismissed immediate discussions about his potential bid for higher leadership positions within the party.

He said that such matters are reserved for 2027, after the upcoming local government elections.

The January 20, 2026, interview on SABC News with Samkele Maseko came amid growing speculation about Mbalula’s ambitions to succeed President Cyril Ramaphosa at the ANC’s elective conference scheduled for December 2027.

Mbalula said that any commentary on his intentions would only fuel unnecessary debates.

When directly asked by Maseko if he was standing for the presidency, Mbalula responded: “That will be discussed next year whether I stand or I don’t stand. The matter of standing is reserved up until then.”

“If I were to comment about that, that I’m standing or not standing, I would be fueling a debate that the organisation have agreed must stop.”

“When it comes in 2027, [after we’ve] won elections, I’ll answer about it,” he added.

The ANC SG’s comments are a deliberate effort to shift focus back to the party’s immediate priorities, including self-proclaimed organisational renewal and preparing for the 2026 local government elections.

Mbalula has been a key figure in the ANC’s attempts to regain voter trust following a challenging performance in recent national polls, where the party lost its outright national majority for the first time since 1994, dropping to 40% of the vote.

Speculation about Mbalula’s leadership aspirations has been rife for months.

Insiders suggest he is positioning himself as a frontrunner, potentially challenging Deputy President Paul Mashatile, with both seen as leading contenders to replace Ramaphosa.

Rumors suggest National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, and billionaire Patrice Motsepe might run; however, Motsepe has dismissed these.

Meanwhile, lobbying for other candidates persists, but Mbalula has urged members to ignore such campaigns and focus on upcoming polls.

Reports indicate that Mbalula has been consolidating support through provincial reconfigurations and branch audits, moves some critics view as strategic maneuvering ahead of 2027.

However, Mbalula has consistently denied these allegations, insisting his efforts are aimed at strengthening the ANC overall.

Mbalula has growing support

During the interview, Maseko referenced chants and songs from ANC delegates at party events praising Mbalula.

Mbalula downplayed this, saying that it “”is to acknowledge the work, it doesn’t get into my head. They are acknowledging and appreciating their Secretary General. And I receive.”

He also addressed comments from ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe, who has publicly suggested Mbalula should seek a second term as SG.

Mbalula quipped, “well, Mantashe sometimes says things. As an older person in the organisation, who am I to argue with him?”

He reiterated the party’s agreement to defer leadership discussions. “We have agreed in the organisation that this thing must wait up until the moment when it’s supposed to be debated in the organisation. At that moment, you’ll know our views.”

“It will be amiss of anyone to think that these issues are not being debated… but there must be order,” in the ANC, he added.

Recent party activities, including provincial leadership battles and calls to investigate electoral outcomes in regions like Johannesburg, underscore the internal dynamics at play as the ANC navigates its path to 2027.