ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula told reporters he was not feeling well moments before he collapsed in Johannesburg. Image credit supplied
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has collapsed after delivering an emotional address following the party’s victory in the Constitutional Court. The moment Mbalula collapses came shortly after the court ruled that 181 ANC candidates must appear on the ballot for the 4 November local government elections.
Mbalula was speaking to reporters in Johannesburg on Thursday morning when the incident happened. In footage broadcast live by eNCA, he told journalists that he was not feeling well. He then wiped his face and bent forward as party members and officials gathered around him. Moments later, people around him rushed to help, and the cameras lost sight of him in the crowd.
So far, the ANC has not said what caused the incident or confirmed his condition.
Why Mbalula collapses news comes at a tense time
Earlier on Thursday, the Constitutional Court ruled in the ANC’s favour in its case against the Electoral Commission of South Africa. Justice Rammaka Mathopo delivered the order, and the court said it would give its reasons later. As a result, the IEC must now include the affected ANC candidates on the ballot papers.
The case followed a costly mistake. When the ANC uploaded its candidate details to the IEC’s online system, it failed to press the button that submits the list as final. Because of that error, the IEC excluded about 181 ANC candidates in six municipalities. Across all parties, 2 274 candidates missed out for the same reason.
The ANC first turned to the Electoral Court, which dismissed its appeal. The party then approached the Constitutional Court, which has now overturned that outcome.
The candidate list blunder placed Mbalula under enormous pressure. As the party’s chief administrator, he faced criticism from within the ANC over the mistake. In the Eastern Cape, some branches even turned ANC leaders away in anger over the election problems. Earlier this week, Mbalula warned that losing the court case could damage the ANC’s performance at the polls. On Thursday, ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe publicly defended him.
The ruling therefore came as a major relief for the party. However, the celebrations quickly turned to concern once Mbalula fell ill in front of the cameras.
Meanwhile, commentary across social media platforms has poured in. Many users have sent their wishes for his recovery, while others have pointed to the heavy strain that the election campaign has placed on party leaders.
The ANC is expected to give an update on his condition.