The ANC is reportedly grappling with an extraordinary wave of internal turbulence as high-level insiders claim that a faction within the party has quietly lobbied for former president Thabo Mbeki to step in as an interim leader should efforts to unseat President Cyril Ramaphosa succeed.
The revelation described by one veteran ANC source as the most dramatic comeback proposal since Mandela walked free has sent ripples through Luthuli House fuelling speculation of a deepening fracture within the governing party.
According to insiders familiar with the closed-door discussions, the proposal emerged from a group of disgruntled members who argue that the ANC needs a stabilising elder statesman to guide the organisation through what they describe as its most precarious political moment in decades. Mbeki, who left office in 2008 following a recall championed by some of the same factions now calling for his return has reportedly been cited as a unity figure who could temporarily recalibrate the party trajectory.
While the ANC’s official channels have dismissed talk of an imminent leadership overhaul as rumour-driven noise,” party veterans say the tension is real. Senior sources described meetings marked by raised voices, conflicting visions and growing anxiety over the ANC’s public image amid persistent governance challenges, electoral pressure and economic stagnation.
Political analysts say the idea of reinstalling Mbeki now 83 illustrates a level of desperation within certain ANC circles. The very notion of bringing back a former president more than a decade after his departure shows how uncertain the party is about its future direction said one analyst. It signals nostalgia, instability and a search for a symbolic figure who represents ideological clarity.
However, others argue that reintroducing Mbeki could deepen existing factional divides. Younger party members are said to be sceptical of the idea, warning that such a move could alienate new voters and reignite old political wounds.
For now, the proposal remains unofficial, shadowed by secrecy and denied publicly by several key figures. Still insiders insist the conversations did take place some even calling them intense strategic and surprisingly detailed.
President Ramaphosa who has faced heightened criticism from within the party over economic reforms governance disputes and ongoing internal power battles has made no public reference to the alleged push. Those close to him say he remains focused on stabilising the country and the party amid mounting political theatre.
As the ANC edges toward future conferences and leadership debates the rumours of a potential Mbeki interim presidency once unthinkable now hang in the air like political thunderclouds. Whether this is merely factional fantasy or the early tremor of a seismic leadership shift remains to be seen.