ANC head of elections and transport minister Fikile Mbalula has thrown his weight behind party president Cyril Ramaphosa amid calls for his removal. 

Speaking during the party’s Letsema campaign in Kimberley, Northern Cape, over the weekend, Mbalula said people attacking Ramaphosa as leader of the ANC are destroying the party.

He said the ANC should not apologise for defending Ramaphosa when he is under attack.

“President Matamela is our president. We must not apologise for defending him when he is under attack. If you attack Matamela as president of the ANC you are destroying the party,” said Mbalula. 

“We defended Nelson Mandela, we defended Thabo Mbeki, we defended Jacob Zuma and we will defend Matamela as our president. If branches say he must continue, there is nothing wrong because all of them got their second terms.”

Mbalula questioned why some people were against Ramaphosa getting a second term as president. 

“We know our problem. Our problem was Covid-19 and Matamela led this government in defence of our people when they were under attack from Covid-19. Matamela is leading the charge in building this economy. He is not working alone, but with a collective,” he said. 

He said although there was nothing wrong with people wanting to stand for leadership positions, the will of branches will prevail.

“The president has the right to campaign and do anything as president of the ANC. He cannot go around as CR22. He is our president and he is loved by our people. We saw how he was being kissed by grannies,” Mbalula said.

Previously, former president Jacob Zuma’s daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla took a dig at Mbalula after he publicly backed Ramaphosa for a second term as ANC president.

Zuma-Sambudla said Mbalula was “singing for his supper”.

“Fact: Not even his peers who want to emerge are considering this guy on their ‘slates’. That must tell you about this guy. So, shem, he has no choice,” she said.