Fikile Mbalula Says ANC Has No Place for Lazy Members, South Africans Find His Comment Ironic
- Fikile Mbalula has discussed the type of member that the African National Congress was hoping to attract
- The Secretary General of the party emphasised the importance of having members who were loved by the organisation
- Social media users were very critical of Mbalula's comments, with many finding them to be quite ironic
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Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
KWAZULU-NATAL – The African National Congress (ANC) does not want lazy people in its ranks, or people who put their own interests ahead of those of the party.
That’s according to Secretary General Fikile Mbalula, who was discussing the progress made by the party’s provincial leadership in KwaZulu-Natal.
The ANC in the province is currently led by a Provincial Task Team (PTT), which was initially formed in February 2025, to rebuild the party's structures after the poor performance in the 2024 National Elections.
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What did Mbalula say?
Speaking at the eThekwini Region’s Voter Registration Drive Volunteer Assembly on Sunday, 7 June 2026, discussed the type of people the party wanted.
“The ANC does not want lazy people. It does not want people who work for themselves, who prioritise their personal interests. The ANC wants volunteers who are ready to work for the people,” he explained.
The SG added that the party required disciplined volunteers who were committed to serving their communities.
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“We are now at a critical moment in our campaign where we are electing our councillor candidates. We must identify people who work for the community and who are loved by the organisation, those are the councillors we want,” he stated.
He reiterated that the party didn’t want members who had never called a single ward meeting since they were elected and who were nowhere to be found when the community complained about service delivery.
South Africans criticise Mbalula’s comments
Social media users were not impressed with the SG’s comments, with many finding it ironic.
Ofentse Jabulani said:
“Mbalula is one person who doesn't think before he speaks.”
Sandy Geswint Abdoll claimed:
“Too little, too late. The horse has already bolted from the stable.”
Greg Boyley Boyle stated:
“Brah, everyone in the ANC serves themselves.”
Ingrid Hawkins said:
“Oh well, look who’s calling the kettle black. What does he do, or anyone in government?”
Steven Bailey said:
“Pity they did not have that philosophy 30 years ago.”
@DjLebitsi added:
“Look who is talking. The irony. Jokes keep writing themselves.”
@MrDROP111 stated:
“You stand there and say the ANC doesn’t want certain people. In describing the people that the ANC doesn’t want, you end up describing yourself. South Africa is a comedy show. A criminal stands before the public and says criminals are bad to society.”
@euxenitejax claimed:
“Meanwhile, his ANC comrades wake up every day to loot, steal, and live like kings on stolen money. That’s the real success story he’s selling.”
Mbalula admits that not all ANC members are clean
Briefly News also reported that Mbalula previously weighed in on how corruption was affecting the image of the ANC.
The Secretary-General of the party also claimed that not every member of the party was clean.
South Africans weighed in on Mbalula's comments, with many not surprised by his comments.
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Source: Briefly News
