Mathews Phosa, former uMkhonto we Sizwe commander and the African National Congress (ANC) treasurer general, has issued a stark warning to his party about the looming threat of further electoral decline if corruption within its ranks remains unchecked. Speaking on JJ Tabane’s Power to Truth show, Phosa pointed to the ANC’s dismal performance in the May 2024 elections, where it garnered just 40% of the vote and had to form a coalition government with smaller parties. He attributed the party’s diminished support to widespread corruption allegations, many of which were uncovered by the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. Phosa expressed his concern that the ANC had failed to act decisively, with 97 leaders still implicated in corruption, leaving voters disillusioned and distrustful of the government’s ability to address the issues facing the country.
Phosa was particularly scathing about the government’s failure to act on the findings of the Zondo Commission, which has exposed extensive corruption and the mismanagement of state resources. He noted that a staggering R214 billion had been siphoned off at the local government level, according to the Auditor-General’s report. Phosa emphasized that it was the responsibility of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), and other prosecutorial bodies to investigate these serious allegations thoroughly and bring those responsible to justice. He stressed that the public needed to see tangible action, with corrupt individuals arrested and prosecuted to restore faith in the ANC and the government. However, he lamented that this had not happened, fueling the growing perception that the political elite was above the law.
The former ANC leader warned that the party’s failure to address corruption, crime, and the country’s economic stagnation would lead to further erosion of support in the coming elections. Phosa suggested that the ANC’s share of the vote could plummet to between 26% and 29% in future elections if the party continued to ignore the voices of the people. He also drew comparisons to other former liberation movements, such as those in Botswana and Mauritius, which had lost their grip on power due to similar failings. Phosa, who had campaigned vigorously for the ANC in the 2024 elections, expressed deep concern that the party was heading down the same path of institutional decline, arguing that without meaningful reform, the ANC would struggle to remain a dominant political force.
The call for change was echoed by political analysts who agreed that the ANC’s dominance was increasingly under threat. Professor Ntsikelelo Breakfast suggested that the era of one-party dominance in South Africa was coming to an end, with corruption playing a key role in undermining the ANC’s political hegemony. He pointed out that the party’s inability to effectively deal with the findings of the Zondo Commission and its factional battles over corruption were crippling its credibility. Another analyst, Thabani Khumalo, was even more blunt, saying that the ANC had no realistic chance of turning things around before the 2026 local government elections. Khumalo argued that the party was paralyzed by corruption and internal divisions, with no one willing to take a stand against the entrenched interests that had corrupted its ranks.
Phosa’s comments serve as a sobering reminder to the ANC that its political survival depends on its ability to confront the corruption that has tainted its reputation. As the party grapples with its internal crises and the growing disillusionment of the electorate, Phosa’s call for a renewed commitment to fighting corruption and fulfilling its promises of renewal may be the last opportunity for the ANC to rebuild trust and stem its decline. If the party fails to act decisively, it risks losing more support and following the fate of other liberation movements that have faded from power. The ANC’s future now hinges on whether it can confront its past and chart a new course for the future, one that restores faith in its leadership and its ability to serve the people.
