DECLARATION OF THE EXTENDED KZN PTT POLITICAL SCHOOL, HELD AT THE ROYAL HOTEL ON THE 27TH of SEPTEMBER 2025

1. We, the KwaZulu-Natal African National Congress Provincial Task Team (PTT), together with Regional Task Teams, Women, Veterans, and Youth Leagues, gathered on the 27th of September 2025 at The Royal Hotel in the Political School guided by 11th ANC President, Cde Thabo Mbeki.
2. We started on a journey focused on appreciating the concerted efforts of the counter revolution to undermine the National Democratic Revolution (NDR). In defining the tasks the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, it must undertake to renew itself and reclaim its position as the premier organization of the people and in service of the people as the custodian of their hopes and aspirations.
3. We are driven by the desire to nub the demon of our lived reality of a weakened organization, paralyzing factionalism, disunity, that is responsible for the declining electoral support, and a loss of confidence by the people on the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal.
4. Recognising that, the ANC is the organization of the people and not just its card-carrying members, and guided further by the 54th ANC National Conference, which characterized the renewal of the ANC as an absolute and urgent priority and the necessary feature for the survival of our great movement.
5. Furthermore, being mindful of KwaZulu-Natal’s strategic role to the socio-economic and political stability of our country as the second most populous province, logistic hub for the region, and manufacturing capital of the country. The PTT Political School observed that:

• the ANC and the movement are under the siege of determined and entrenched counter-revolution.
• KwaZulu-Natal is a decisive battleground of South African politics, and thus when KwaZulu-Natal is united and mobilized – the ANC grows stronger nationally. The opposite is also true – when the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is divided, the ANC suffers everywhere.
• renewal and building the unity of organization is a necessity for the pursuit of the National Democratic Revolution and a better life for all,
• noted the impact of factionalism in the functioning of the ANC,
• the evolution and the character of factions in the Province including the development of the phenomenon of personality cult,
• the Movement still harbors within its ranks agents of counter-revolution, who have increased their negative interventions,
• the branches are at best weak and dysfunctional, and at worst non-existent,
• the organization remains deeply divided, weak, and paralyzed by factions, cannot resolve internal problems, and cannot pursue and implement its programmes,
• The People are losing confidence in the ANC. This has been clearly expressed in the embarrassing decline in electoral support in the last elections.

6. We determined that:

• the comrades should not be afraid to speak the truth to each other and never seek to deceive the public,
• we need mentorship and guidance,
• We need to recruit and develop quality members steeped in being of service to the people and committed to serving people with dignity and respect, and never steal from public resources entrusted to them.

7. Recognizing that since the democratic victory in 1994, the movement has attracted within its ranks the large numbers of opportunists, careerists, and criminal enterprise that sees ANC membership to pursue their private interest. Moreover, use their leadership positions to access state power for self-enrichment.

8. We recognize that all of us, as members of the PTT, in one form or the other, have contributed to plunging the movement into the morass it finds itself. Consequently, bridging factional divisions among ourselves has been an uphill battle. Unless and until we confront the root cause of our divisions, the renewal of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal will remain wishful thinking.

9. Accordingly, we collectively undertake to, firstly, honestly discuss and address what divides us, and secondly, collectively engage structures in the provinces on the outcomes of our engagements and efforts to renew the ANC in the Province in order to regain their trust and confidence.

10. Deeply concerned that large numbers of members of the ANC, Women, and Youth Leagues that joined the ANC, only know and have been exposed to negative tendencies.

11. We resolve that unless the ANC in KZN embarked on a genuine process of organizational renewal and rebuilding, we would not be able to arrest the decline, resultant to the death of the movement and the defeat of the National Democratic Revolution.

12. The primary outcomes were to deepen unity and rededicate ourselves to ANC Constitution, values, principles, and traditions, underpinned by our forebears of selfless and ethical leadership. These values, principles, and traditions are imbued in all the resolutions and actions taken to renew, revitalize and rebuild the African National Congress.

a. The outcome of unity is embedded in the 70th Anniversary of the ANC, in 1982, which President Oliver Tambo declared as the year of Unity in Action. We also remain inspired by the clarion call that he made to us then, the embattled masses of our people, and the organized detachments of the motive forces of our National Democratic Revolution: To Act in Unity and Unity in Action!!! We ought to ask ourselves, Are we the members of the ANC?

i. In keeping with the Oath of Declaration,

1. “I, […], solemnly declare that I will abide by the aims and objectives of the African National Congress as set out in the Constitution, the Freedom Charter and other duly adopted policy positions, that I am joining the Organisation voluntarily and without motives of material advantage or personal gain, that I agree to respect the Constitution and the structures and to work as a loyal member of the Organisation, that I will place my energies and skills at the disposal of the Organisation and carry out tasks given to me, that I will work towards making the ANC an even more effective instrument of liberation in the hands of the people, and that I will defend the unity and integrity of the Organisation and its principles, and combat any tendency towards disruption and factionalism.”

13. We determine that:

• The PTT should and must urgently take the responsibility and the task to lead, guide, and implement the process of Organisational Renewal and Rebuilding, with clearly defined terms of reference. Among their tasks should include that;
• clearly defined criteria for the admission of ANC members,
• all current members should be re-admitted based on such criteria,
• new members should be subjected to 12 months of probation accompanied by clearly defined tasks, a political education programme, and a process of monitoring and evaluation,
• a centralized, transparent, and fair system of conducting elections in all ANC structures be developed, including a method of dispute resolution,
• design a transparent cadre deployment policy, considering among others, the deployee’s levels of political education, community involvement, experience and academic qualifications,
• we should develop and strengthen political education,
• the PTT ought to decisively intervene to address all reported acts of ill-discipline, corruption, malfeasance and other manifest acts of subversion in the ANC and government without fear or favor,
• all public servants and political leaders, both in the ANC and in government, should undergo lifestyle audits,
• the PTT will constitute a working group to distill our 2019 and 2021 LGE Manifestos into a clear program of action for implementation by both local and provincial governments,
• restore comradeship and recultivate a culture of trust,
• denounce rhetoric and demagogues in the Movement,
• take urgent action to salvage the collapse of Municipalities and all local government structures in the Province,
• the PTT must, within the next 90days, convene social partners to develop a “Provincial Social Compact” to address levels of poverty, underdevelopment, and employment in the Province. Such a Provincial Social Compact should serve to assist in the implementation of our 2026 LGE Manifesto.

14. Considering the preceding, the PTT commits and declares that it shall spare no effort in its work to:

i. renew the ANC, in order to rid itself of elements whose pre-occupation is to either destroy the ANC or use it simply as a vehicle to access resources for personal gain,

ii. Rebuild structures of the Movement that focus on the service of communities and peoples of South Africa and re-direct the ANC to its values and principles,
iii. Promote and undertake effective governance by designing a programme to ensure the local and provincial government’s efficient and effective governance and administration. This, amongst other things, is to capacitate public servants to put the people first, singularly focused on delivering services to the people, ensure recruitment of a suitable, qualified, and competent public service, to get rid of corruption in government,

iv. in a principled and united manner, address all issues affecting the organization without bias, loyalty to factions or favour,
v. mobilise society to combat and defeat the scourge of violence in society and its manifest symptoms, such as gender-based violence,
vi. eradicate poverty and eliminate unemployment by harnessing energies and resources of government, businesses, and members of civil society, including labour and other non-state actors through a provincial socio-economic compact, led by the provincial government,
vii. function as a united force to develop, design, and implement a clear and measurable program arising from these commitments and deliberations

We come out of these engagements more confident of our renewal path and commit ourselves to realise what we set to undertake.
We thank and support, the 11th President of the African National Congress, President Mbeki’s political engagement programme with all structures of the Movement.

ANC Leads, ANC Lives, The Struggles Continues!!!
Presented by: Kwazi Mshengu
The Provincial Political Education Coordinator.
For and on Behalf of the KZN PTT

END