Former president Thabo Mbeki has issued a stark warning about the state of the African National Congress (ANC) and the country it has governed for three decades, saying both are facing grave challenges with no clear path forward.
Mbeki made the remarks on Friday while delivering a tribute at the funeral of veteran anti-apartheid activist and senior ANC figure Titus Mafolo in Johannesburg. Mafolo, 69, passed away last week after a short illness.
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Reflecting on the loss, Mbeki said Mafolo’s death comes at a particularly difficult moment for both the governing party and the nation.
“Titus has left us too early, because the ANC is in problems, serious problems. South Africa is in serious problems. I don’t know about yourselves, but me, I don’t know where South Africa will be tomorrow,” he told mourners.
ANC leadership under pressure amid national challenges
Mafolo was widely regarded as a principled leader within the ANC, as well as a successful businessman and a trusted political adviser to Mbeki during his time in office. Since his passing, tributes have highlighted his influence in shaping South Africa’s post-apartheid political landscape.
Speaking candidly at the funeral, Mbeki questioned the country’s trajectory as social and economic pressures continue to intensify. “Where are we going? How are we going to solve all of these problems, whether it’s crime or the economy, unemployment, this and that and the other,” he said.
After 30 years in power, the ANC has come under growing scrutiny from citizens frustrated by corruption scandals, struggling public services, persistent unemployment, rising crime and an economy under strain.
Public frustration grows as ANC faces criticism
Discontent has increasingly spilled onto the streets through service delivery protests, while declining voter turnout and recent electoral setbacks signal waning public confidence in the ruling party.
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Mbeki told mourners that South Africa is poorer without Mafolo’s guidance at a time when deep, systemic challenges linked to ANC governance continue to confront the country.
He called on public servants and political leaders to honour Mafolo’s legacy by recommitting themselves to ethical leadership and the task of rebuilding the nation.
“We need Titus Mafolo to be with us, to say, to get out of this problem; this is what we need to do,” Mbeki said.
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