Fikile Mbalula Slammed as South Africans Reject His AFCON and Rugby World Cup Hosting Call

• ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula took to X on Thursday 9 July 2026 to call for South Africa to bid for AFCON and the Rugby World Cup
• South Africans flooded the replies, calling Mbalula tone deaf amid widespread economic hardship and service delivery failures
• The post racked up over 71 000 views as Mzansi let the ANC's top official know exactly what they thought of his priorities

ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has found himself in hot water after floating the idea that South Africa should pursue hosting bids for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the Rugby World Cup, with thousands of South Africans pushing back hard against the suggestion.

Mbalula has been in the spotlight in recent tweets as he sparked debate last week with his suggestion that SAFA must reprimand Bafana Bafana star Teboho Mokoena over his EFF remarks. That tweet had triggered reactions from South Africans and conjured a heated argument between Mbalula and former Olympic champion Roland Schoeman.

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In a post shared on X on Thursday, 9 July 2026, Mbalula wrote:

"We must bid for Afcon to be played here and the Rugby World Cup."

The tweet quickly accumulated over 71 000 views, drawing a wave of criticism from everyday South Africans who felt the sentiment was wildly out of touch given the country's current struggles.

[Read the tweet that sparked the backlash](https://x.com/MbalulaFikile/status/2075171299236741294?s=20)

South Africans Call Out Mbalula's Priorities

The backlash was swift and sharp. Below are some of the reactions from South Africans:

@Petrus_Eras wrote:

"We don't want Afcon here until the borders are secure and immigration laws are adhered to because they will come here and refuse to leave."

@Unconfirmed_ZA quipped:

"Problem: Fans of other teams will only book one-way flights as they did in 2010."

@nahshoz echoed similar concerns:

"Sounds tempting but how many of those that come for the tournaments will make South Africa their permanent home by coming with ten suitcases each and never leaving after?"

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@KhandaniM was equally firm:

"No Afcon until we finish dealing with illegal foreigners, please. We need a 20-year break."

Source: Briefly News