Electoral setbacks and declining membership are reshaping the ANC’s influence in Rustenburg.
Despite her prominent standing as mayor of Rustenburg, ANC leader Shiela Mabale-Huma finds herself in an awkward position; her party branch is not in good standing and therefore faces imminent disqualification as a legitimate political structure under the ANC’s constitution.
The ward 45 branch, to which Mabale-Huma belongs, has fewer than 100 members – the minimum threshold required for a properly constituted branch of the ANC.
Concern over non-compliant branches
It is understood that ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula is concerned about branches nationwide that no longer meet its constitutional requirements.
Due to branches that had been flagged nationwide, including ward 45, Mabale-Huma’s branch and others cannot participate in ANC elective conferences at regional, provincial or national levels.
However, she may still take part in party activities and meetings as an individual member, provided her membership is up to date.
Mabale-Huma, one of Rustenburg’s longest-serving councillors and a former speaker, is not alone in this predicament.
MMC for corporate service at the neighbouring Bojanala district municipality, Thapelo Thobokoe, who shares the same branch, faces the same challenge.
The pair must now recruit new members to reach the 100-member threshold needed to restore the branch’s status.
Electoral loss signals shifting support
Ward 45, once a reliable ANC stronghold, slipped from the party’s grasp when Jacob Zuma’s MK party took the seat in the 28 August 2024 by-election, ensuring the new party secured its first electoral win outside of KwaZulu-Natal.
The outcome gave MK’s Thabiso Molefe, who received 43% of the vote, a chance to represent the community of Photsaneng in the council.
The symbolism was striking; the ward is home to the local mayor herself.
Rustenburg’s council is currently hung after the ANC lost its majority, forcing it into a coalition with smaller parties – a pattern mirrored across several North West municipalities.
Fragmentation reflected in council composition
Once considered an ANC bastion, Rustenburg has become a battleground where civic movements and community-based parties steadily erode the ruling party’s dominance.
The council’s composition reflects this fragmentation: ANC 42 seats, EFF 17, DA 13, TCM 7, VF-Plus 3, ACDP 1, African-Independent-Congress 1, Arona 1, Botho-Community-Movement 1, Forum-for-Service-Delivery 1, Independent 1, MK 1, and UDM 1.
Rustenburg remains one of South Africa’s most significant mining towns, anchored in the platinum belt and home to the famous Sun City.
It was among the host venues for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
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