Jeff Radebe: People still have faith in the ANC despite election setback

Despite a drop in support during South Africa’s 2024 general elections, ANC provincial convenor Jeff Radebe and coordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu remain confident that the public still has deep trust in the ANC.

Both leaders were speaking at a media briefing in Durban on Tuesday, as part of a renewed drive to reconnect with communities and rebuild the ANC’s grassroots strength.

In the 2024 elections, the ANC saw its national vote share plunge to 40%, down from 58% in 2019. This marked the party’s worst showing since the end of apartheid and led to the loss of its outright majority in the National Assembly.

The ANC secured 159 from 230 seats, forcing it into coalition talks to form a Government of National Unity. In KwaZulu-Natal, traditionally an ANC stronghold, the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party), led by Jacob Zuma, overtook the ANC to become the largest party in the province.

But Radebe insists the ANC is not retreating, it is responding.

“Do people have faith in the ANC? The answer is a big yes. But we acknowledge that last year's election results, both nationally and provincially, were a wake-up call. That is why we are reconnecting with our people. We are connecting them not with words, but with action,” he said.

Radebe pointed to several measures the party has undertaken since the elections: unifying internal structures, forming regional task teams across all 11 KwaZulu-Natal regions, and engaging a broad spectrum of society, from traditional leaders to religious groups.

“Since February of this year, we have engaged with very important stakeholders to reconnect with them in KwaZulu-Natal, starting with His Majesty the King Misuzulu and other traditional leadership. We have met with religious formations and leaders of all persuasions, Jewish, Muslim, traditional, and charismatic churches. We have met with civil society and the intelligentsia,” he said.

Radebe stressed that the ANC’s focus is not just on its membership base, but the wider electorate.

“At the end of the day, the people who vote are not only card-carrying members of the ANC, but the majority of people out there who cherish our policies.”

Echoing this sentiment, Mabuyakhulu cited recent public gatherings as proof of the party's continued relevance.

“Truthfully, people have faith in the ANC. Anyone who has been able to see it functions, last one being the ANC Youth League event that took place at Curry’s Fountain on June 15, anyone who was there must’ve seen that the people have faith in the ANC,” he said.

hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za

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