“Preposterous”: Ramaphosa Responds to Claims He Wants To Quit As ANC Leader
- President Cyril Ramaphosa pushed back against speculation that he would step down as ANC leader following the party's poor election showing
- The ANC's national vote share dropped sharply compared to 2021, with the party losing its majority in several key metropolitan areas
- ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula also weighed in on the resignation claims as pressure mounts on the party's leadership
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SOUTH AFRICA — President Cyril Ramaphosa has firmly rejected suggestions that he intends to resign as ANC leader in the wake of the party's poor showing in the 2026 Local Government Elections, calling the speculation baseless.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Electoral Commission of South Africa's (IEC) announcement of final election results on Sunday evening, 8 November 2026, Ramaphosa questioned the origin of the claims.
"I do not know where these rumours are coming from; I mean, whoever came up with a rumour like that is preposterous," he said.
ANC's historic election setbacks
The 2026 results represent a steep decline for the governing party. According to reports by the Sunday Times, the ANC's national vote share fell to 36.9%, down from 49.9% recorded in the 2021 Local Government Elections.
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The party lost its majority across all Gauteng metropolitan municipalities, including Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane, where the Democratic Alliance (DA) made notable gains. The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) took control of eThekwini, while the ANC also lost its majority in Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City. The party narrowly leads the DA in Mangaung.
When asked how difficult the results were to accept, Ramaphosa said the party had no choice but to respect the will of voters.
"Concerning it might be, we accept that this is how the people of South Africa in our towns, our cities, in our metros have spoken. And this is their verdict. And we accept it with humility," he said.
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Mbalula backs Ramaphosa amid leadership questions
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has also moved to quash the resignation narrative, reportedly insisting that Ramaphosa was not going anywhere.
The pressure on the ANC leadership has intensified following the results, with the party's head of elections, Mdumiseni Ntuli, calling for serious reflection by the National Executive Committee (NEC) on what the outcome means for the organisation going forward.
The scale of the losses has prompted broader questions about the ANC's ability to maintain political influence in urban centres and what the results signal for the party's national trajectory ahead of future elections.
Jacinta slams Ramaphosa after election loss
Briefly News also reported that Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa after the ANC's vote share plummeted in the 2026 local government elections.With the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) having finalised more than 91% of national results, the ANC is sitting at approximately 31.2% of the national vote share. That is a steep fall from the 46% the party received in 2021 and the 40% it held after the 2024 general elections. The DA followed closely at 24.4%, according to partial IEC results.
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Source: Briefly News
