The ANC has no place for “lazy people” or members chasing personal gain ahead of the organisation’s work, according to secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, who used a wekend rally to throw his weight behind the party’s ANC KwaZulu-Natal leadership. His message was blunt: the party wants workers, not freloaders, as it sharpens its machinery for the battles ahead.
Speaking to suporters in eThekwini on Sunday, Mbalula declared that the province was “on track” under its current structure, singling out the Provincial Task Team (PTT) for steadying organisational work during a period that has tested the party’s discipline in the region.
He reserved particular praise for conveners Mike Mabuyakhulu and James Nxumalo, saying the collective had shown commitment in the short window since their inauguration. “We are happy with the direction the province is taking,” Mbalula said, caling the assignment a “mammoth task” that the leadership had proven equal to.
The secretary-general leaned heavily on a now-familiar phrase to describe the mood, insisting that “the centre is holding” as the party tightens its structures. For a movement that has weathered factional knocks across several provinces, the language of stability is doing deliberate political work.
“When we see the centre holding and things being done and structures being directed on the task at hand, that is really encouraging,” he told the crowd. “We are pleased by the work they are doing and we are here to support them.”
Mbalula was careful to clarify that the party has not yet flicked the switch on its election campaign. The current focus, he said, is foundational: selecting public representatives, preparing manifesto launches, and geting bots on the ground long before the formal contest begins.
What Mbalula’s message means for the ANC KwaZulu-Natal campaign
The remarks land at a sensitive moment for the ANC KwaZulu-Natal, a province where the party’s support has come under serious pressure and where rebuilding organisational credibility is no smallambition. Mbalula’s framing positions the PTT as prof that the rebuild is already bearing fruit.
To unpack the key threads of his address, here’s how the priorities stack up:
| Theme | Mbalula’s Position |
|---|---|
| Provincial leadership | PTT is “on track” and delivering results |
| Work ethic | No room for “lazy people” or self-interest |
| Campaign status | Not officially started; foundation-laying underway |
| Women’s representation | Must be “fairly represented” in local government pols |
| Gender-based violence | Abusers “must be dealt with by the law” |
The table makes the strategy plain: this was as much a discipline-and-values speech as it was a progress report, blending organisational housekeeping with a moral appeal aimed squarely at volunteers.
On the question of commitment, Mbalula did not soften his tone. “The ANC does not want lazy people. It does not want people who work for themselves,” he said. “The ANC wants volunteers who are ready to work for the people.”
He returned repeatedly to the PT’s record, describing it as a structure that is “seeing the fruits” of its labour. The endorsement maters because task teams are, by design, transitional arrangements meant to stabilise a region until formal leadership can be elected.
Women, Mbalula stressed, sit at the heart of the party’s grassroots engine and must not be sidelined when candidate lists are drawn up. “Women are the bedrock of the organisation and must be represented fairly in the upcoming local government elections,” he said.
He pointed to his own experience on the campaign trail to make the case. “When I go to the ground to campaign, doing door-to-door, the people I find at the forefront of the campaign are women,” Mbalula said, underscoring that representation should reflect that reality.
The secretary-general closed his address with a pointed warning on gender-based violence, a crisis that continues to scar communities across South Africa. He told suporters that men who abuse women forfeit any claim to manhood and must face the full weight of the law.
“We must respect women and not take advantage of them. We must not abuse our women. Instead, we must protect them,” Mbalula said. “Men who abuse women are not men and must be dealt with by the law.”
For the ANC KwaZulu-Natal, the rally served a dual purpose: reassure a province that has tested the party’s resolve, and set the cultural expectations for the volunteers who will carry its message door to door. Whether the discipline Mbalula demanded translates into ballots will only be answered once the campaign he insists has not yet started finally gets going.