ANC Members Reportedly Back Patrice Motsepe as President for 2027

• Senior members of the African National Congress are reportedly shadow-campaigning for billionaire Patrice Motsepe to be the party's next president
• The party heads into its next elective conference, and contenders for the presidency include Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, Deputy President Paul Mashatile and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi
• Party insiders envision an ANC with Police Minister Senzo Mchunu as the deputy president and Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane as the secretary-general, with Motsepe at the helm

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, cabinet reshuffles, the State of the Nation Address, Parliament and Parliamentary committees, politician-related news and elections at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.

JOHANNESBURG — Senior members of the African National Congress (ANC) are reportedly pushing for billionaire Patrice Motsepe to be the next president of the ANC when it elects its next leader in 2027.

Patrice Motsepe as ANC president?

According to The South African, ANC insiders have already envisioned Motsepe as the next ANC leader with Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu as his deputy, and Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane as the secretary general. Some within the party consider Motsepe's potential candidacy as an opportunity for the party to be rejuvenated. His clean public record and management skills count in his favour.

Some have added that his experience in corporate governance could serve him well in political leadership. However, he is not the only contender for the throne of the ANC. Secretary-general Fikile Mbalula also reportedly eyed the position of the ANC leadership. However, a leadership battle between him and Mashatile has been raging in the background.

Premier Panyaza Lesufi has been caught in the middle between the two. He has previously denied interest in any position within the ANC's top eight. He said he was more interested in learning about leadership and did not have any aspirations to lead the ANC yet.

South Africans roast ANC

Netizens commenting on The South African's Facebook post were disappointed in the ANC, and some discussed Motsepe's leadership skills in the political arena.

Sandiso Clement Nhlapo said:

"So it runs in the Motsepe, Radebe and Ramaphosa families. They wanna take turns in governing the country. They all want a piece of the pie called SA."

Thabo Chabedi said:

"I support Sundowns and his success speaks for itself, but not as the President of South Africa."

Muzala Shinka said:

"ANC has departed from its mission. It is now totally captured. Good job."

Gerald Jonkers said:

"He will not be a good candidate. He is already benefiting as the brother-in-law of CR."

Riri Solomon said:

"He should refuse. Politics is a dirty game. They want to soil his name."

What you need to know about Patrice Motsepe

Patrice Motsepe is a mining entrepreneur and the founder of African Rainbow Minerals, where he serves as executive chairman. His company is interested in gold, platinum, base metals, and ferrous metals. Motsepe also holds influential positions on several corporate boards, including non-executive chairman of Harmony Gold, the twelfth-largest gold mining company in the world, and deputy chairman of the financial services group Sanlam.

In 2012, he was named South Africa’s richest man by the Sunday Times Rich List, with an estimated net worth exceeding R20 billion. Beyond mining and finance, Motsepe owns the Premier Soccer League team Mamelodi Sundowns FC and has a 37% stake in the renowned rugby franchise, Blue Bulls Co.

Patrice Motsepe made history as the first Black partner at the prestigious South African law firm Bowman Gilfillan before shifting his focus to entrepreneurship. He is also widely respected for his philanthropy, having pledged to give away half of his wealth through The Motsepe Foundation, which supports education, health, and community development initiatives across South Africa.

Motsepe re-elected unopposed as CAF leader

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Motsepe was elected as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) president for a second term in March 2025. The elections took place in Cairo, Egypt.

Motsepe first assumed office in 2021 and became the first English-speaking president. His presidency saw him launch the African Football League and an increase in the African Cup of Nations prize money.

Source: Briefly News