Mbeki Backs Ramaphosa on Resignation Reports

Former president Thabo Mbeki says the president took the correct position if reports he offered to vacate office are true, as ANC leaders dismiss the claims.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Elections

Mbeki Backs Ramaphosa on Resignation Reports

Live Poll

Should national political leaders resign after their party suffers a major election defeat?

Former president Thabo Mbeki said Cyril Ramaphosa took the correct position if reports that he offered to vacate office are true. ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and Ramaphosa dismissed the reports as rumours, after the ANC's vote share fell to 30.76% in 2026.

Why it matters

The reported resignation offer follows a sharp fall in ANC support, from 45.59% in 2021 to 30.76% in 2026, and raises questions about the party's leadership at a time of electoral decline. Mbalula's insistence that leadership is elected for a full term and that the president is not going anywhere points to the party's effort to keep the leadership stable.

The ANC received 30.76% of the vote in 2026, down from 45.59% in 2021. It is not confirmed whether Ramaphosa offered to vacate office, and Ramaphosa said he does not know where the rumours come from.

The players

Cyril Ramaphosa

Cyril Ramaphosa is the President of South Africa and leader of the African National Congress, who has been in office since 2018.

Thabo Mbeki

Thabo Mbeki is a former president of South Africa and a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress.

Fikile Mbalula

Fikile Mbalula is the secretary-general of the African National Congress and a senior figure in the party's leadership.

African National Congress

The African National Congress is South Africa's governing party, which led the country since the end of apartheid in 1994.

The details

Mbeki discussed the reported resignation offer in a podcast interview with Mbuyiseni Ndlozi on Monday. The Sunday Times had reported that Ramaphosa offered to vacate office over the decline of ANC support, which Mbalula dismissed as rumours while describing the election result as a catastrophe.

2017: Ramaphosa's presidency began, with reported negativity since.
2021: The ANC received 45.59% of the vote.
2026: The ANC received 30.76% of the vote in the election.
Sunday before publication: The Sunday Times reported that Ramaphosa offered to vacate office.
Monday before publication: Mbeki discussed the reports on a podcast.

Political Context

The ANC's vote share fell from 45.59% in 2021 to 30.76% in 2026, and the reported resignation offer comes against that sustained electoral decline. Mbalula's statements that leadership is elected for a full term and that the president is not going anywhere are the party's response to pressure on its leadership.

The reports bear on who leads the governing party and, by extension, the country, which is why the ANC's leadership is under public scrutiny. Readers should note the reports remain unconfirmed and were dismissed by Ramaphosa and Mbalula.

The takeaway

The ANC's sharp fall in support has prompted public debate about its leadership, though the resignation reports remain unconfirmed. Watching for official party statements will clarify where the leadership stands.