Internal tensions within the African National Congress (ANC) in the Eastern Cape have erupted into open conflict, with a party member formally challenging the recent decision to reinstate the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) in a letter addressed to Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula. The letter, which has been widely circulated within provincial party circles, demands that Mbalula urgently rescind the reinstatement, arguing that the decision is procedurally flawed and risks further destabilizing an already fractious provincial structure.
The controversy stems from the ANC’s announcement earlier this month that the PEC had been temporarily reinstated pending the outcome of a legal appeal before the Supreme Court of Appeal. The appeal concerns the legitimacy of the Provincial Task Team (PTT) that had been governing the province in the interim. While the party’s national leadership has framed the reinstatement as a necessary holding measure to ensure administrative continuity, the dissenting member contends that the move undermines the party’s constitutional processes and disregards the grievances of branches that have called for fresh leadership elections.
In the letter, the member, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, accuses the national leadership of acting arbitrarily and without proper consultation with provincial structures. They have called for an urgent intervention to halt the reinstatement pending the outcome of the court case, warning that failure to do so could provoke further branch-level defiance and even legal challenges from within the party.
The Eastern Cape has long been a battleground for fierce internal rivalries within the ANC, with factional disputes frequently spilling into the courts and the public domain. The reinstatement of the PEC has been met with mixed reactions, with some members welcoming the stability it brings and others viewing it as a move to sideline legitimate grievances. As Secretary-General Mbalula considers the letter, the party finds itself once again walking a tightrope between unity and the rule of law—a balancing act that has tested the ANC’s resilience for years.
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