‘Why didn’t you resign?’ Malatji fires back at Mbeki over ANC election losses

Ask AI 5minANCYL president Collen Malatji has hit back at former president Thabo Mbeki, accusing him of contributing to the ANC’s decline after he called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign over the party’s poor election results.

Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers

ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Collen Malatji has hit back at former president Thabo Mbeki over his call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign following the ANC’s poor performance in the 2026 local government elections, accusing Mbeki of being part of the problem.

Malatji questioned why Mbeki did not resign when the ANC faced similar challenges during his tenure.

He argued that the party’s decline was the result of problems that had developed over several years.

Malatji made the remarks during a media briefing at the ANC’s Luthuli House headquarters in Johannesburg on Tuesday afternoon.

The ANC’s national share of the vote dropped from 45.59% in the 2021 local government elections to 30.76% in 2026.

Although it remained the biggest party nationally, the Democratic Alliance (DA) followed with 24.64%, while the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party secured 9.76%. 

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) received 6.22%, followed by ActionSA with 5.67%.

The ANC secured outright majorities in 53 municipalities and emerged as the leading party in 128. 

The DA secured outright majorities in 12 municipalities and led in 32, while the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) won five municipalities outright and the MK Party secured three.

The ANC also lost its leading position in metropolitan municipalities. The MK Party took control of eThekwini, while no party secured an outright majority in Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni or Tshwane.

Responding to Mbeki’s comments, Malatji said the former president and other long-serving members should also take responsibility for the challenges facing the ANC.

“But our key statement is that the old guard, including President Thabo Mbeki, are part of the problem that we have in the ANC,” he said.

Malatji argued that the party’s problems had developed over many years and should not be placed solely on the current national leadership.

“I think it is unfair to want to burden one national collective with a problem that was caused many years ago by the NEC,” he said.

He also referred to the arms deal controversy and the involvement of former ANC leaders, including Tony Yengeni, who has since joined the MK Party.

“The first time we dealt with corruption in the arms deal was under them, including comrade Tony Yengeni,” Malatji said.

Mbeki served as South Africa’s second democratic president from June, 1999, until his resignation on September, 2008. 

Yengeni previously served as the ANC’s chief whip in the National Assembly and was a member of its National Executive Committee before joining the MK Party in October 2025.

Malatji said the ANC’s credibility had been eroding for years and that accountability should extend beyond the current leadership.

“Accountability must happen, and the National Executive Committee of the ANC must be accountable for this decline,” he said.

He also criticised ANC leaders who, according to him, failed to campaign during the elections, saying those deployed to government and Parliament needed to explain their absence.

“If they are not campaigning for the ANC, it means they are campaigning against the ANC. Those people can’t continue being leaders of the African National Congress,” he said.

Malatji said the party needed a younger generation to drive its renewal, arguing that the problems could not be resolved by those who had been part of its leadership for years.

“It needs a younger generation that will be able to implement that,” he said.

He said the ANC had apologised to South Africans who were angry with the party and used their votes to punish it in the elections.

Malatji also challenged Mbeki to engage directly with the ANC’s NEC and explain why he had not resigned when similar difficulties arose during his leadership.

“He must come and visit the National Executive Committee of the ANC. We engage them at that level,” Malatji said.

“And he must be able to explain to us that when he was confronted with those issues under his leadership, why did he not resign?”

Mbeki recently weighed in on speculation surrounding Ramaphosa’s future, saying Ramaphosa would be right to resign if reports that he was considering stepping down following the ANC’s election performance were true.

Speaking on the African Renaissance Podcast, hosted by former EFF MP Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, Mbeki said there was “nothing positive” to show for Ramaphosa’s time at the helm of the ANC and the country.

He questioned what positive developments could be attributed to Ramaphosa’s presidency since he became ANC president in 2017 and president of the country in 2018.

“We are now in 2026. What has happened between 2018 and 2026 of a positive nature, that you can point to, to say during this period, positive, positive, positive, nothing. There’s a lot of negativity,” Mbeki said.

He said the ANC’s top seven leaders should consider whether they were still the right people to lead the organisation.

“If what is being reported about President Ramaphosa’s position is correct, then he is taking a correct position. And maybe the rest of the leadership should take the same position,” he said.

The ANC’s top seven comprises Ramaphosa, deputy president Paul Mashatile, national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane, second deputy secretary-general Maropene Ramokgopa and treasurer-general Gwen Ramokgopa.

Meanwhile, Mbalula has rejected reports that Ramaphosa is considering stepping down, insisting that there is no such discussion within the party.

“There’s no such consideration in the ANC,” he said.

Mbalula said the party was preparing a report for the NEC to guide its response to the election results.

“We are going to the NEC to get a report which we are working on now, and we characterise it as a doctrine that will guide us to respond to the moment,” he said.

He added that the ANC would examine its election campaign and identify the reasons behind its poor performance.

Ramaphosa also dismissed speculation about his resignation following the announcement of the election results on Sunday night.

“I do not know where these rumours are coming from; I mean, whoever came up with a rumour like that is preposterous,” he said.