In a strong call for unity and grassroots mobilisation, African National Congress (ANC) coordinator in Gauteng, Hope Papo, has urged party members across the country to prioritise consensus and community organisation over divisive leadership contests.
Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday in Johannesburg, Papo emphasised that internal elections should not become battlegrounds of ego and personal ambition.
“ANC generally encourages democracy. But we think that if there can be a consensus among the officials, you will have proper processes of preparing.
“So comrades must talk to each other and reach a consensus around officials in the regions, officials in the branches, officials when you go to a provincial conference,” Papo said.
He stressed that some contestations were not rooted in political or ideological differences but selfish interests.
Notably, in several Northern Cape regions, even additional members were elected unopposed through consensus.
“You cannot just contest for the sake of it, because I want to. Because the purpose is not to spend a lot of time arguing about leadership. The purpose is to have a strong organisation at the local level, which has functional subcommittees,” he said.
This is as the ANC is preparing to emerge victorious in the upcoming 2026 local government elections.
The party failed to win the majority during the 2024 national and provincial elections. This was the first time the ANC could not win the elections since democracy.
This led to them settling into the Government of National Unity (GNU).
Papo said the ANC will do everything in its power to ensure that it reclaims power in the country.
To achieve that, he urged the members to be vibrant in their communities, work for the people, and also restore trust.
“Everywhere where ANC members are, they must actually form organisation. If they are on campuses, they must form cells linked to a ward. So that it’s not that ward there in that voting district,” he said.
Politics
