ANC Leader Tlangi Mogale Fires Back At Critics Telling Her To Leave The Party

Tlangi Mogale, the African National Congress Tshwane MMC for roads and transport, has rejected calls for her to leave the party, saying her commitment to public service is not a political career she needs to protect. She describes serving South Africans as a calling, despite the ANC’s damaged reputation and shortcomings.

In remarks shared publicly, Mogale acknowledged that the party carries a stain, which she attributed both to its own actions and to external factors she characterised as carefully designed. She argued that distancing herself from the organisation could bring approval, but said she would not take that route.

Mogale said leaving the ANC could make it easier for a politician to be praised and accepted as a leader by people who view the party negatively. She rejected that prospect as a reason to abandon the organisation, maintaining that the ANC is larger than the individuals within it.

Her defence of the party included the claim that it is the only political organisation that genuinely cares for South Africans. She also maintained that, despite its shortcomings, the ANC has consistently put people first, pointing to what she described as its record.

The comments place Mogale among party members who argue that the ANC should be judged not only by its problems, but also by its history and stated commitment to the public. Her position is that remaining in the party allows her to continue serving, rather than seeking a more favourable public image by separating herself from it.

Her acknowledgement of the party’s stain recognises that public criticism has a basis in the organisation’s own conduct, while also asserting that external forces have contributed to its reputation. She did not identify those external factors in the remarks provided.

Mogale’s comments do not set out specific actions she intends to take to address public concerns or explain how the ANC should rebuild trust. Instead, they focus on her refusal to leave and her conviction that public service should not be treated as a career to save.

The statement underscores a challenge for ANC members facing calls to distance themselves from the party: whether they can defend its record while acknowledging its failings. Mogale’s answer is to remain, arguing that the organisation’s broader purpose outweighs the reputational benefit an individual might gain by leaving.

She presents her decision as a commitment to service rather than personal advancement. Her remarks reinforce her belief that the ANC remains the organisation best placed to put South Africans first, even as she recognises that it carries a stain and has shortcomings.

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