‘Apologise First’: Bheki Mtolo Demands Future Coalition Partners Publicly Declare ANC ‘Is No Longer a Party of Thieves’
Former African National Congress (ANC) KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Secretary Bheki Mtolo has laid down a blunt and unconventional ultimatum for any political party seeking to form a coalition government with the ANC, demanding they first publicly exonerate the party from its historical reputation for corruption.
Speaking extensively during an interview on the KZN Tonight Podcast, Mtolo made it clear that the ANC would no longer tolerate being labeled a “party of thieves” by political rivals who later attempt to negotiate for power behind closed doors.
“Anyone who wants to form a coalition with [the ANC] will have to first tell the public that the ANC is no longer a party of thieves,” Mtolo asserted during the broadcast, directly targeting opposition parties that built their entire electoral campaigns on anti-corruption rhetoric aimed at the liberation movement.
The statement comes amid ongoing political recalibrations in South Africa, where shifting voter dynamics—particularly following the emergence of former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party—have fractured traditional majorities. Local government dynamics have forced multiple players into hung councils and coalition governance frameworks.
Mtolo argued that political adversaries cannot continue to weaponise corruption allegations to score points with voters and then treat the ANC as a viable partner when they need to patch together a government.
According to Mtolo, the precondition is designed to ensure political consistency and force opposition parties to account for their public statements before any formal agreements are signed.
Mtolo’s uncompromising stance reflects the combative rhetoric that characterized his tenure as provincial secretary.
He has frequently engaged in public spats with alliance partners and opposition figures alike, often warning voters about “thieves” who looted state entities like PRASA and Eskom allegedly regrouping under new political configurations.
By pushing the onus onto prospective coalition partners to publicly reshape the narrative around the ANC’s integrity, Mtolo’s remarks draw a hard line for future negotiations.
Opposition parties have yet to respond to the podcast statement, which threatens to complicate future local and provincial power-sharing arrangements where the ANC holds the balance of power.
