James Nxumalo: ANC KZN must ‘act with urgency’ ahead of elections
ANC KwaZulu-Natal PTT coordinator James Nxumalo says the reconfiguration of the party’s provincial task team (PTT) is aimed at accelerating organisational renewal and preparing the province for upcoming local government elections.
In an interview on Newzroom Afrika, Nxumalo said the ANC’s national leadership had raised concerns about the size and effectiveness of the previous structure.
This led to the appointment of Mike Mabuyakhulu as convener to replace Jeff Radebe.
Nxumalo said the task team, which consisted of about 66 members, had been viewed as too large, with plans to reduce it to between 30 and 35 members to improve functionality.
He added that the leadership had been “not happy about the slow process in terms of the implementation of the directives that were given to the previous PTT in terms of rebuilding the organisation, uniting the African National Congress, but at the same time starting the preparations for the next forthcoming local government elections”.
Nxumalo said the reconfigured leadership would need to act with urgency, noting that the party was running out of time ahead of the local government elections expected between November 2026 and January 2027.
Referring to Mbalula’s remarks comparing the previous structure to a “Tazz” instead of a “Ferrari”, Nxumalo said the comment had been made in jest, but stressed that the focus was on regaining lost ground in the province.
He said the ANC had been “dislodged by the counter-revolutionary forces, including the MK Party” in KwaZulu-Natal, and that efforts would be made to win back support, including from former members who had left the party.
“They are warm welcome back home into the African National Congress,” Nxumalo said.
He added that the party was prepared to address issues that may have driven members away.
On his dual membership of the ANC and the South African Communist Party (SACP), Nxumalo said this was not unusual, noting that “there are thousands of members of the South African Communist Party who are members of the African National Congress.”
He acknowledged tensions within the alliance but said these would need to be resolved collectively.
“These are the contradictions that both the ANC and the Communist Party will have to resolve,” he said.
Nxumalo also rejected the notion that he had been politically inactive prior to his appointment.
“For me, I was not in the wilderness, not at all. I was making my own contribution in my branch,” he said.
He said his focus would be on executing the responsibility given to him, rather than pursuing positions, adding that the task at hand was to rebuild the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal and improve its electoral performance.
He dismissed suggestions that internal politics had led to Radebe’s removal, describing him as a veteran who had contributed to rebuilding the party in the province.
Nxumalo said the ANC would continue to draw on Radebe’s experience following the reconfiguration of the task team.
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