ANC Issues Directive for Regional Secretaries to Choose Between Party Role and Municipal Employment
The African National Congress (ANC) has instructed its regional secretaries to relinquish either their municipal jobs or their party positions within 30 days, a move aimed at ensuring full‑time commitment to the party’s organisational structures ahead of the November local elections.
The directive, signed by Secretary‑General Fikile Mbalula and dated 29 May 2025, applies not only to regional secretaries but also to members of the Regional Executive Committees (RECs) who hold senior municipal leadership posts. According to the ANC, the policy stems from concerns that part‑time arrangements weaken the party’s ability to lead renewal in local government.
Legal Basis and Rationale
The ANC cites the Constitutional Court’s April 2025 ruling in Samwu v. Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs as the legal foundation for the directive. That judgment reinforced the prohibition, under the Municipal Systems Act, on municipal managers and officials directly accountable to them holding political party office.
In a statement accompanying the letter, Mbalula explained:
“The movement cannot strengthen its structures if the regional secretary is not the full‑time political and organisational anchor of the regional structure, and the movement cannot lead the renewal of local government if its own elected officials at the regional level are themselves anchored as top management in the municipalities.”
Implementation Requirements
- Each regional secretary must convene a full committee meeting within three days of receiving the directive.
- All committee members are required to submit written statements confirming their municipal employment status.
- The review extends to communities within a 100‑kilometre radius of each region’s official borders, excluding any arrangements where an official holds a prohibited position in a neighbouring area.
- Regional secretaries who remain employed elsewhere must either resign from that employment or step down as regional secretary within the 30‑day window.
Reporting and Oversight
Regional offices must submit consolidated findings to the Office of the Secretary‑General within 30 days of the directive’s issuance. The National Working Committee is expected to receive a consolidated review of all regions within 45 days, allowing the ANC leadership to assess compliance and identify any gaps before the elections.
Broader Context
Regional secretaries play a pivotal role in the ANC’s provincial power structures, overseeing branch operations, campaign coordination, candidate selection, and the implementation of political programmes across municipalities and districts. By insisting on full‑time dedication, the party aims to align its internal governance with the legal framework governing municipal officials and to reinforce its capacity to lead local‑government renewal efforts.
Observers note that the directive reflects a broader trend within the ANC to professionalise its organisational hierarchy and to reduce conflicts of interest that could undermine public trust. The move also signals the party’s readiness to enforce internal discipline ahead of a pivotal electoral cycle.
