Mbeki Names Ramaphosa and Mantashe Unionists as ANC’s Deepest Internal Threat — Johannesburg

Former president Thabo Mbeki has reportedly criticised the ANC’s internal leadership, identifying Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe and individuals linked to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s trade union network as potential threats to the party.

According to reports, Mbeki made the remarks during a private gathering this week, where he expressed concern that certain union-linked factions were prioritising their political interests over the ANC’s broader transformation objectives.

He allegedly accused influential figures within these networks of contributing to divisions and weakening the party’s founding principles. Mantashe was reportedly singled out as one of the individuals whose influence has contributed to internal factional tensions.

Mbeki’s comments have reportedly raised concerns among senior ANC members, although party spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri had not issued an official response at the time of publication.

The criticism revives longstanding political disagreements dating back to the ANC’s 2007 Polokwane conference, when Mbeki lost the party presidency to Jacob Zuma. Mantashe, who was then COSATU secretary-general, played an influential role in the political developments surrounding the contest.

An ANC member who reportedly attended the gathering described Mbeki’s contribution as calm but forceful.

The reported intervention comes as the ANC faces declining electoral support, internal divisions and uncertainty about its political future. With the party’s National General Council approaching, Mbeki’s remarks could intensify existing disagreements over leadership and the influence of organised labour within the organisation.

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