ANC Secretary-General Orders Police Investigation into Johannesburg Regional Conference
Johannesburg – In a dramatic turn of events, African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has called for a police investigation into the outcomes of the party’s Johannesburg regional conference held in December of last year. The conference saw Loyiso Masuku elected as the region's chairperson, defeating Mbalula's ally, Dada Morero, for the top leadership position.
Mbalula's intervention, revealed by the Sunday Times, comes in the wake of reported disputes and allegations of irregularities that marred the three-day conference. In a letter dated 28 December, Mbalula instructed Hope Papo, the Gauteng Provincial Task Team (PTT) co-ordinator, to hand over all conference-related material to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for a thorough investigation.
The letter effectively calls for a re-examination of the conference processes, but instead of relying on internal dispute resolution mechanisms, it brings in the police.
Mbalula's letter outlines several concerns that have been raised regarding the conference. These include claims that the announced results did not accurately reflect the raw data, allegations of altered candidate lists, and concerns about the conduct of the agency responsible for administering the electoral process. Questions have also been raised about how that agency was appointed and alleged conflicts of interest involving PTT members and the elections agency.
Mbalula specifically highlights allegations suggesting discrepancies in the actual number of votes received by candidates. "In light of the above, the PTT is directed to facilitate a process to have all ballot papers, boxes, raw data and consolidated data — as well as the report from the elections agency — submitted to the South African Police Service (SAPS) with immediate effect," Mbalula wrote. He further stipulated that, "The handover to the SAPS should be in the presence of ANC security, led by Comrade Patrick Mathebula, the ANC electoral committee and a representative of the ANC Veterans League at national level."
Furthermore, Mbalula is demanding answers from provincial deployees to the Johannesburg conference regarding the running of the event. "Furthermore, the PTT is advised to seek a legal opinion on this matter and for the PTT deployees to the Johannesburg region to submit a report to the SG on the regional conference in question," said Mbalula.
The Sunday Times previously reported in December that the ANC in Gauteng had announced its intention to investigate allegations of vote-buying that cast a shadow over the conference. While Mbalula's letter does not explicitly mention vote-buying, it indicates that the party can no longer ignore the alleged irregularities surrounding the conference.
While the impact of this investigation on the conference outcomes remains uncertain, Mbalula's actions introduce significant complications. There is a possibility that the conference, which saw the election of Johannesburg's first female chairperson, could be rerun.
It was reported by the Sunday Times at the time of the conference that Masuku’s victory was seen as the high point of a fightback by Gauteng leaders who are against the government of national unity (GNU), after their disbandment in 2025. It reported that Thembinkosi “TK” Nciza, Lebogang Maile and Panyaza Lesufi were working behind the scenes to mount a fightback against Mbalula, who is believed to have pushed for the disbandment of the Gauteng ANC’s provincial executive committee (PEC). Those close to the trio said at the time they were fighting against Mbalula, who wanted to use their disbandment to weaken deputy president Paul Mashatile’s presidential ambitions.
Speculation is also mounting regarding Mbalula's own political ambitions. It remains to be seen whether his decision to involve the police in the Johannesburg regional conference is linked to his potential bid for the ANC presidency in 2027. Mashatile and Mbalula are expected to go head-to-head at the ANC’s 2027 national conference as they bid to succeed Cyril Ramaphosa as the party’s president.
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