Thabo Mbeki Warns ANC Collapse Could Push South Africa Into Crisis

• Former President Thabo Mbeki has warned that the African National Congress (ANC) is “too big to fail”
• Mbeki cautioned that the ANC's collapse could plunge South Africa into a national crisis
• He urged members to act decisively to rebuild and cleanse the ANC

SOUTH AFRICA —Former President Thabo Mbeki has warned that the collapse of the African National Congress (ANC) would have serious consequences for South Africa, saying it could push the country into crisis.

In an X post on 1 April 2026, Mbeki spoke to eNCA about his views on the current state of the ANC and how he believes it is affecting, and will affect, the country in the future.

See video here:

What did Mbeki say?

The former president clarified that when he spoke of a collapse, he was not referring to the ANC losing an election, which he said is a normal part of democracy. Instead, he warned about the party collapsing due to its own internal problems. According to him, such a scenario would go beyond the ANC and impact the entire country, potentially making it difficult to govern.

Read also

Economic Freedom Fighters call for arrest following Eastern Cape violent protests

"The ANC remains the biggest and most influential political party in South Africa, with control at a national level and in many municipalities. Because of this, its failure would create major instability," said Mbeki.

He warned that internal conflicts, factional battles, and ongoing divisions within the party could cause it to “implode,” which would then place the country under serious pressure.

The ANC must be rescued

Mbeki stressed that the ANC must be “rescued” and cleaned up from within.

"We have to do whatever is necessary to ensure we cleanse the ANC of the wrong things it has been doing and reposition it to make sure it does what it should, which is to serve the people of South Africa."

Mbeki also cautioned that if the ANC’s internal crisis is not resolved, it could end up transferring its problems to ordinary citizens, leading to wider national instability.

“If you are a genuine member of the ANC, you cannot allow such a bad thing to happen to this country. We have to make sure that the ANC does not transfer its problems to the country.”

Read also

Nigerian justice advocate urged citizens to respect South African customs amid tensions

His comments come amid ongoing concerns about divisions within the ANC, which President Cyril Ramaphosa has also previously acknowledged, particularly around internal fighting and factionalism.

Ramaphosa urges members to regain the public's trust

President Cyril Ramaphosa called on ANC members to address local government issues and improve basic service delivery to regain voter trust. He made these remarks during the ANC’s anniversary celebrations in January, following the party’s significant losses in the 2024 national elections.

Political analyst Mzoxolo Mpolase weighed in on the ANC’s electoral decline and its renewal plans. His view that it may be too late for the ANC was echoed by many social media users.

Social media reacted Mbeki's sentiments

@Eliz_abeth25 said:

"This ANC infighting was first reported by the late former minister Sicelo Shiceka; he did say it needs to stop, and that was a decade ago. What did the ANC do to him?"

@PSAFMophiring said:

"This old man is full of contradictions. The ANC is collapsing now in fact it started collapsing when COPE and others were formed."

Read also

"Leave that to South Africans": Cameroonian creator faces backlash over East London Igbo King news

@Stephen37697424 said:

"Of course, the country will ANC comrades will sabotage every infrastructure project since they won't be getting any tenders, they don't want to get off the gravy train."

@pete_buttons said:

"I could not have put it any better."

@TrishStuth said:

"Sounds like a threat. Also, does Mbeki realise it's 2026 and most of the population was born post apartheid and could care less about the ANC?"

Previously, Briefly News reported that ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula criticised the ANC’s KZN leadership, saying the structure had failed to meet expectations, and announced plans for an overhaul. This is after the ANC saw a drastic decline in voter numbers in the province, with MK Party securing most of the votes in the province. Mbalula described the provincial structure’s performance as that of a 'Tazz' when it was meant to be a 'Ferrari'.

Source: Briefly News