By Simon Nare and Akani Nkuna
President Cyril Ramaphosa, presiding over a divided party and alliance, warned the ANC that it must urgently renew itself or risk political extinction.
Delivering the ANC’s January 8 Statement at Moruleng Stadium outside Rustenburg in the North West, Ramaphosa said the renewal of the ANC and its alliance partners was the most pressing organisational task of the current generation.
In recent months, the party has been at loggerheads with its alliance partners, the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), with the SACP having committed to contesting the 2026 Local Government Elections independently
“We need to act with urgency, determination and courage in making renewal more visible and irreversible. We fully understand that we either renew or perish,” told throngs of ANC supporters.
Ramaphosa stressed that renewal must be both personal and organisational, urging ANC members to embody the movement’s values in their daily conduct and interactions with society.
“As individual members of the ANC, we must show that we represent the best values of our movement,” he said.
He added that ANC members must be known for upholding the highest standards of excellence, integrity, humility, hard work and competence.
“We will run the ANC strictly, with zero tolerance for corruption, ill-discipline and factionalism,” Ramaphosa said.
The president said the party was committed to governing the country effectively, ethically and competently, noting significant progress in reviving political education within the organisation.
ANC supporters at the January 8 rally in Rustenburg, North West. PHOTO: Eddie Mtsweni
He highlighted the introduction of a compulsory Foundation Course for all ANC members, saying it was already contributing to organisational renewal and rebuilding.
“More than 125,000 members from 1,600 branches have undergone political training throughout the year. This training will be intensified in 2026 to cover every ANC member,” he said.
Ramaphosa added that advanced-level courses would be rolled out to strengthen leadership and governance capacity across the organisation.
He said the national executive committee (NEC) had introduced a new accountability framework to hold all ANC elected leaders and public representatives accountable, supported by a monitoring, evaluation and performance system.
The party’s 5th National General Council (NGC), held in December 2025, called for the strict enforcement of consequence management for non-performance and misconduct, while promoting meritocracy, integrity and competence.
“The strengthening of the Integrity Commission’s terms of reference and the step-aside rule has ensured that ANC members comply with the need to protect the image of the movement,” Ramaphosa said.
He also announced the introduction of a compulsory ethics course to improve the ethical environment within the ANC.
“We call on all ANC members to take this training very seriously,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the party had introduced the Branch Functionality Barometer in 2025, aimed at building activist branches engaged in continuous grassroots mobilisation through community campaigns, door-to-door engagements, sectoral work, izimbizo and other mass activities.
In the year ahead, the ANC will embark on a nationwide campaign to rebuild every branch into an activist branch. He urged members to engage communities directly, solve their problems and promote development and safety.
The president said organisational renewal also required the renewal and reconfiguration of the alliance to collectively advance a progressive and transformative agenda, both domestically and globally.
“The NGC raised serious concerns about weaknesses within the alliance. The South African Communist Party’s decision to contest elections has serious implications for the National Democratic Revolution and the cohesion of the alliance,” he said.
However, Ramaphosa said the ANC would not abandon its responsibility to unite the alliance and develop a common renewal and reconfiguration programme.
“The NEC will convene a series of alliance meetings in this regard,” he said.
He concluded by urging all ANC members to campaign decisively for the party in the upcoming elections.
“There must be no confusion. Winning the local government elections decisively will enable the ANC to lead communities in the forward march towards a truly non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, united and prosperous society,” Ramaphosa said.
Bikers at the ANC January 8 rally in Rustenburg, North West. PHOTO: Eddie Mtsweni
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