Mbalula dismisses demand for Ramaphosa’s resignation

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says president Cyril Ramaphosa is not a bargaining point for them as they go into coalition talks.

The ANC failed to get majority after the general elections, getting just over 40% (6.4 million) votes.

Addressing the media at the National Results Operations Centre in Midrand, Mbalula said the ANC will not accede to demands for Ramaphosa to step down.

Former president Jacob Zuma's MK Party has indicated that it would only get into coalition talks with the ANC if Ramaphosa resigns.

“If you come to us with the demand Ramaphosa must step down as a president, that is not going to happen. We've got no such mandate. We're not going to engage with political parties on the basis that we don't want to talk to so and so. We're not going to do that because we don't run political parties.

“You ask me about MK Party. We've got many reservations about that party but we will talk to them. If they want to work with us, we will map out how we want to do [it] but no political party will dictate terms like that to us as the ANC. That is a no-go area to everyone. You come to us with that demand, forget [it].”

He said he's heard people saying when ANC loses, Ramaphosa must resign, adding that when one stands as a president, they stand in good and bad times.

“These are bad times.”

Mbalula reiterated his deputy Nomvula Mokonyane's statements that the ANC's principle of negotiating was for the stability of SA.

“We have many different options including a re-run and also going to the [opposition] benches, including working with us for those who want to work with us. We need stability in this country and we will put the interest of people of SA first,” Mbalula said.

He said as they engage political parties, the posture will not be on exchanging [positions] as that will be the last thing because it is easy to achieve.

The ANC has outright majoring in five provinces, including the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and North West. 

“We would move with speed to constitute governance where we have won and appoint premiers by Thursday. We will come back to you and announce premiers as agreed by the national executives committee.

“We will be done with that and we have to prepare for the National Assembly. We have to prepare to talk with other political parties,” Mbalula said.

He said the ANC never underestimated Zuma.

“We knew he would get support in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. We [just] did not know he would get this much support. The [MK] party was unstoppable.”

“That is why we put up a fight in relation to him and his party while also mobilising our people. The ANC spent a lot of money and time in these provinces because we knew ourselves that we were being challenged,” Mbalula said.

The MK Party has garnered over two million votes.

MK and other political parties have demanded that the IEC not announce the final results on Sunday night.

Mbalula affirmed the work of the Electoral Commission of SA as the body received backlash and accusations over election rigging. 

“We call on all South Africans to resist the efforts of those forces who want to weaken our democracy, who want to undermine our electoral processes and who want to disregard the will of the people.

“As a nation, we will stand together against those who threaten violence and instability. The people of SA, as they have shown in the past, will not tolerate any threats to our democracy,” Mbalula said.

Mbalula expressed gratitude to the six million people who voted for the ANC.