Lungisa warned Mbalula of ‘electoral humiliation’ in NMB
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ANC official Andile Lungisa has taken legal action against the party, alleging that Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula improperly removed him from the mayoral candidate list for Nelson Mandela Bay. Lungisa claims the decision ignored branch support and warns of political fallout for the party.
Why it matters
This internal conflict highlights power struggles within the ANC and the potential for electoral instability in a key South African metro.
In an email to ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula before filing an urgent high court application over the removal of his name from the party’s candidate list, the party’s Andile Lungisa accused the national leadership of overriding branches and warned that Nelson Mandela Bay was ‘in free fall’.
13 Sep 2026 ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula. (Photo: Sharon Seretlo / Gallo Images) | Nelson Mandela Bay ANC councillor Andile Lungisa. (Photo: Lulama Zenzile / Gallo Images / Netwerk24) | Illustrative Image: (Daniella Lee Ming Yesca) Dive Deeper Speed Read Summary Listen Dive Deeper Less than two weeks before Andile Lungisa filed an urgent application in the Gauteng High Court, he wrote to ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula and the party’s national leadership, warning that Nelson Mandela Bay was “in free fall” – and accusing the party's leadership of overriding branches and communities to remove him as a mayoral candidate for the metro.
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