‘Desist immediately’: ANC warns PM27 supporters and funders to stop presidential campaign

2026-03-02 - 14:33

The African National Congress (ANC) has spoken out against a mysterious campaign seeking to promote a particular candidate for the party president position at the much-anticipated 2027 national elective conference. Ramaphosa is serving his last term as ANC president, and the new candidate will take over from 2027. But the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) said it is concerned that the PM27 campaign is breaking the ANC’s protocol on internal elections. Some ANC members have been seen wearing PM27 t-shirts and regalia, but it is still unclear whether the PM on these materials stands for Patrice Motsepe or Paul Mashatile. Who is behind PM27? Both these men are being mooted as potential candidates for the presidential race. “The African National Congress notes with grave concern the ongoing activities associated with the so-called PM27 campaign. “The National Executive Committee has taken a clear and principled decision that no leadership campaigns should be undertaken in the run-up to the 2027 National Conference. “This decision was informed by the need to safeguard organisational unity, protect internal processes, and ensure that the movement remains focused on its immediate mandate to serve the people of South Africa,” said party spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu. ALSO READ: ‘It was war’: Men recruited to fight for Russia describe treatment on the frontlines – report Premature campaigning a distraction Bhengu said any activity that seeks to prematurely mobilise for leadership positions stands in direct contradiction to the ANC’s collective resolution. “The ANC is currently seized with the critical task of preparing for and contesting the upcoming local government elections. Our structures, deployees and members are expected to direct all energy and resources toward strengthening governance, improving service delivery, rebuilding communities, and consolidating the confidence of the electorate.” Bhengu said efforts to advance parallel leadership campaigns at this stage are divisive and distract the party from the core work of the organisation. She also said they amount to an attempt to derail the ANC from its historic mission and responsibilities. “The ANC therefore unequivocally condemns the PM27 campaign and calls on all those involved to desist immediately. The movement will not allow ambitions to undermine organisational discipline and unity,” she said. A warning Those who defy the NEC’s decision have been warned. “Appropriate steps will be taken to ensure adherence to the decisions of the NEC and to bring all members into the discipline of the organisation, in line with the constitution of the ANC and the values that have sustained it for more than a century,” she said. The secretary general of the ANC, Fikile Mbalula, is believed to be one of the contenders chasing the ANC’s top job. But he has also spoken out against premature campaigning. Some in the ANC believe that a political management approach should be used at the 2027 elective conference, where the party elects leaders through consensus rather than a contest. They believe this will preserve the party’s unity and demonstrate its strength. But some analysts believe that ANC support is dwindling at such a fast pace that it does not matter who becomes ANC president in 2027 because the party is likely to be in a coalition. NOW READ: ANC Johannesburg conference: Mbalula responds to criticism of his role in police raid