{
  "id": 9123364,
  "title": "‘I am the boss of the ANC’: Mbalula faces pressure as candidate-list crisis puts political ambitions under scrutiny",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/i-am-the-boss-of-the-anc-mbalula-faces-pressure-as-candidate-list",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-22T10:31:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/politics/i-am-the-boss-of-the-anc-mbalula-faces-pressure-as-candidate-list-crisis-puts-political-ambitions-under-scrutiny/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Fikile Mbalula, currently serving as the ANC secretary-general, faces mounting pressure as the party's candidate-list crisis threatens his political ambitions to become the next party president in the upcoming 56th elective conference. Analysts have noted that Mbalula's performance as SG is a critical factor in determining his chances of securing the leadership position.\n\nRecently, Mbalula has been under scrutiny for the ANC's late submission of councillor candidate lists to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), a delay that could impact the party's performance in several municipalities. Additionally, Mbalula has faced criticism for several court losses incurred by the ANC, including a recent case against the IEC in the Electoral Court.\n\nDuring a rally in Limpopo, Mbalula defended himself against the criticisms, referring to himself as an \"iron rod\" that cannot be bent and an \"ocean\" that swallows all bad things. He stated, \"Because I know that you [have given] me this difficult task, when we face challenges, all of those challenges will be pointed towards the secretary-general, and I am the engine; I am the boss of the ANC. Others do not like it when I say that, but the boss of the ANC and the engine is the SG.\"\n\nPolitical analyst Andre Duvenhage has expressed concern over Mbalula's handling of critical matters, including the candidate-list crisis. Duvenhage believes that Mbalula's competence is the weakest link among the party's recent secretary-generals and that his political future is uncertain. He added, \"Looking at what is going on in the ANC, what happened in the 2024 elections, what is predicted in the 2026 elections, I cannot see him being in a stronger position to contest any position, from president to deputy president down to even maintaining his own position of secretary-general.\"\n\nAnother analyst, Theo Neethling, also expressed concerns about Mbalula's image following recent setbacks. He stated, \"A few weeks ago, Mbalula was able to position himself relatively easily as one of the obvious future leaders of the ANC. Following the candidate list crisis, the court defeat, and the ensuing internal accusations, that position is noticeably more precarious.\" Neethling believes that Mbalula's image as an effective organizational leader will be tested during the upcoming November election.",
  "summary": "Mbalula has been under fire for the ANC's failure to submit councillor candidate lists on time.",
  "key_points": [
    "Fikile Mbalula faces pressure over ANC candidate-list crisis threatening his leadership ambitions.",
    "Mbalula defends himself as \"iron rod\" and \"boss of the ANC\" during Limpopo rally."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}