Namibia Minute.
Friday, 24 April 2026
A daily Namibian brief · Est. 2026
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Organization

African National Congress

Also known as: ANC · ANC Youth League · the ANC · the party · African National Congress (ANC)

African National Congress — South African ruling party facing structural decline, internal tensions, and declining electoral support ahead of local elections.

World & Region

Mosiuoa Lekota's legacy beyond apartheid struggle honored

The News

The Namibian's analysis of Mosiuoa Lekota, who died on Wednesday, argues that his role in forming the Congress of the People in 2008 was equally vital to his anti-apartheid activism. By breaking the ANC's political dominance, Cope's 1.3 million votes prevented Zuma's government from securing a two-thirds majority, shifted South African politics from racial to policy-based competition, and inspired the formation of other parties including the EFF and ActionSA, fundamentally changing the country's democratic trajectory.

5 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 5 March

  1. Mosiuoa Lekota's legacy beyond apartheid struggle honored

    The Namibian's analysis of Mosiuoa Lekota, who died on Wednesday, argues that his role in forming the Congress of the People in 2008 was equally vital to his anti-apartheid activism. By breaking the ANC's political dominance, Cope's 1.3 million votes prevented Zuma's government from securing a two-thirds majority, shifted South African politics from racial to policy-based competition, and inspired the formation of other parties including the EFF and ActionSA, fundamentally changing the country's democratic trajectory.

    5 March 2026 · The Namibian →

  2. South African former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota dies at 77

    Mosiuoa Lekota, a prominent anti-apartheid campaigner who served as South Africa's defence minister and ANC chairperson before founding the rival Congress of the People party, has died after a period of illness. He was imprisoned on Robben Island during apartheid and broke from the ANC in 2008 over corruption concerns.

    5 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 23 February

  1. Zille and Mashaba lead Johannesburg mayoral race as ANC falters

    The race for Johannesburg's mayor is now dominated by DA candidate Helen Zille and ActionSA president Herman Mashaba, with the ANC yet to name a candidate and facing declining support in the city. Infrastructure failures and declining voter turnout in traditional ANC strongholds like Soweto have reshaped the political landscape ahead of local elections expected in late November 2026.

    23 February 2026 · The Namibian →

  2. ANC facing structural decline in Gauteng ahead of elections

    The ANC in Gauteng is weakened by service delivery failures, corruption, and entrenched factionalism among regional leaders, leaving the party unable to arrest its decline before local elections. With a minority government vulnerable to no-confidence votes, the party may resort to horse-trading with opposition parties to pass budgets, perpetuating extraction and undermining governance.

    23 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 17 February

  1. South Africa's DA leader Steenhuisen steps down amid scandals

    John Steenhuisen, leader of South Africa's Democratic Alliance and agriculture minister in the coalition government, announced he will step down at the party's April congress following multiple scandals including poor handling of foot-and-mouth disease, personal financial mismanagement, and controversy over the sacking of Environment Minister Dion George. His departure opens the way for successors including Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

    17 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 13 February

  1. Ramaphosa's 2026 Sona balances competing interests through strategic ambiguity

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's 2026 State of the Nation Address employed careful political calculations to address diverse constituencies—including populists demanding military intervention, ANC loyalists seeking preservation of state ownership, free-marketeers wanting private sector participation, and others—while deliberately omitting topics like the Expropriation Act and farm murders that might alienate coalition partners. The speech also downgraded previous priorities like the Fourth Industrial Revolution in favour of green economy rhetoric, and reduced the urgency around gender-based violence despite its earlier treatment as a national emergency.

    13 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 5 February

  1. Steenhuisen's exit highlights DA's tough leadership challenge

    John Steenhuisen's decision to step down as Democratic Alliance leader follows revelations about his personal credit card debt and the controversial removal of environment minister Dion George. The incoming leader must navigate questions about race, the party's electoral strategy, and its relationship with the ANC government—while protecting the DA's core claim to integrity that distinguishes it from other parties.

    5 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 27 January

  1. Crime Intelligence implicated in 2017 ANC politician's murder

    An undercover Crime Intelligence officer testified at the Madlanga Commission that senior officials in the agency were involved in the 2017 murder of former ANC Youth League secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa, and alleged that suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu attempted to persuade him to lie about the case.

    27 January 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 24 January

  1. South African court allows sale of Mandela's personal artifacts

    South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed a bid by the heritage authority to block the export and sale of 70 personal items belonging to Nelson Mandela's daughter and a former prison guard, including a cell key from Robben Island, sunglasses, and a signed constitution copy. Mandela's daughter plans to use proceeds from the auction to build a memorial garden at the late president's grave.

    24 January 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 20 January

  1. MK Party prepares new motion against KZN Premier Ntuli

    The MK Party, which won 37 of 80 seats in the 2024 KwaZulu-Natal elections, says it is preparing another motion of no confidence against Premier Thami Ntuli, claiming it can improve service delivery on unemployment, poverty, crime, and water challenges if it takes control of the province.

    20 January 2026 · The Namibian →

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