President Cyril Ramaphosa has reportedly raised the possibility of stepping down as African National Congress (ANC) president following the party’s poor performance in two consecutive elections.
According to a report by the Sunday Times, at least five members of the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) said Ramaphosa suggested that he should resign after the party suffered another significant electoral setback in the 2026 Local Government Elections.
The report states that Ramaphosa argued that the ANC could not lose two consecutive elections under his leadership without consequences.
One NEC member was quoted as saying:
“What I’m hearing is that the president felt that under him and the officials, the party had lost two elections and there needed to be consequences.”
Ramaphosa reportedly went further, indicating that if the ANC’s top seven officials were unwilling to vacate their positions collectively, he could resign on his own.
However, the proposal reportedly faced resistance from senior party leaders, including Deputy President Paul Mashatile and Second Deputy Secretary-General Maropene Ramokgopa. Ramokgopa is said to have suggested that the party consider holding an early national conference in April instead.
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu told the publication that she was not aware of any such discussion among national officials.
The ANC’s electoral performance has declined in recent years. The party lost its national parliamentary majority in the 2024 elections, when its support fell to 40.2%, compared with 57.5% in 2019.
In the 2026 local government elections, the ANC’s national support dropped further, from 49.9% in the 2021 local elections to approximately 36.9%, according to the figures cited by the Sunday Times.
The reported discussions come as the party faces pressure to account for its electoral decline and consider changes to its leadership and political strategy.
Ramaphosa has not publicly announced a decision to resign. The reported discussions concern his position as ANC president, rather than a confirmed resignation from the South African presidency.
