Ramaphosa Warns: “Renew or Perish” as ANC Battles Disconnect with Voters

Tasha Siziba

Boksburg – ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a stark warning to the governing party, saying unless the ANC succeeds in a genuine programme of renewal, “we will perish”.

Addressing delegates at the party’s 5th National General Council (NGC) at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, Ramaphosa said the ANC’s appeal to voters depends on rebuilding meaningful ties with communities, not slogans or nostalgia.

“Our door-to-door campaign wasn’t good enough.”

Ramaphosa made a rare public admission, acknowledging that the ANC’s recent mobilisation efforts and door-to-door campaigning during the last elections fell short, a factor many analysts attribute to the party’s declining support across metros.

GBV crisis: Halfway through the plan, but violence persists

Ramaphosa also warned that despite being halfway through the implementation of the national strategic plan on gender-based violence and femicide, attacks on women and children continue “unabated”.

The president said society must confront the crisis with the urgency it deserves, rather than treating GBV as a routine talking point.

Stop outsourcing – stop corruption.

In another pointed intervention, Ramaphosa said the government must stop outsourcing basic functions, arguing this practice has opened the floodgates to corruption, inflated tenders, front companies and political patronage networks.

“The manipulation of tenders and bribery is enabled because the government hands over core responsibilities,” he said.

Searching for common ground

Ramaphosa said South Africa has a tradition of finding solutions in moments of national crisis, adding that an inclusive national dialogue is now underway in response to calls from across society.

And, while referring to ongoing investigations such as the Madlanga Commission and the Ad Hoc Committee, Ramaphosa said the country was “hopeful that their findings will mark a turning point in our fight against crime and corruption.”

A president sounding the alarm

Ramaphosa’s tone was clear: the future of the ANC hinges not on history, but on delivery, accountability and community trust.

The message to delegates was unmistakable: renew the movement from within, reconnect with the people, and root out corruption, or face a political future too bleak for even the ANC to imagine.