Former president Thabo Mbeki has criticised the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying he struggles to identify anything positive about the country’s direction under his presidency.
Mbeki’s comments come amid reports that Ramaphosa had raised the possibility of resigning as ANC president following the party’s poor performance in the 2026 Local Government Elections.
According to Mbeki, if Ramaphosa is considering stepping down, it would be an appropriate response to the party’s electoral setback. He argued that when a political party performs so poorly under its leadership, those at the helm should take responsibility and consider vacating their positions.
Mbeki also questioned why other senior ANC leaders would remain in office after such a significant electoral defeat, suggesting that accountability should extend beyond the party president.
His remarks come as the ANC faces pressure to account for its declining electoral support. The party secured 30.76% of the national vote in the 2026 local government elections, its weakest performance in a local government election.
Ramaphosa, however, publicly dismissed reports that he was considering resigning, describing the rumours as “preposterous”.
