The ANC’s national working committee (NWC) has summoned the party’s KwaZulu-Natal leadership to a “compulsory” meeting in Boksburg, Gauteng, fuelling growing speculations that the provincial executive committee (PEC) will be dissolved.

In the letter of summon signed by Fikile Mbalula, the ANC’s Secretary-General, all PEC members are expected to attend the meeting on Saturday, November 31, without fail.

However, the letter dated 26 November 2024 (Tuesday) does not state the agenda of the meeting.

“It is compulsory that all PEC members attend the meeting with the NWC. The agenda of the meeting will be shared in due course,” reads part of the letter.

Recently, Mbalula told a party gathering that “we will have to take certain decisions about certain provinces to build them. It’s not disbandment, don’t claim I said I will disband a province, it’s merely strengthening it.”

The invitation to the meeting comes amid speculations that started after the May 29 elections that the PEC led by Siboniso Duma will be disbanded following the party’s poor showing in KwaZulu-Natal. Under Duma and the provincial secretary, Bheki Mtolo, the party’s seats in the provincial legislature declined from 44 to 17.

Duma and Mtolo’s detractors claim that their conduct towards the Zulu monarch and other gaffes, led to the electoral decline that also affected the ANC at national level, hence they should be disbanded.

Duma recently dismissed speculations that they will be disbanded as the party’s NEC does not meet in December. However, Mtolo, said they would abide by any decision that the NEC would eventually take about them.

The spokesperson of the ANC at national level, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, did not comment when she was asked about the agenda of the upcoming meeting.