ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has said the party is “spooked” by the rise of March and March, arguing that the ANC needs to “read the room correctly” in response to increased support for the group.

Mbalula acknowledged that the concerns driving some supporters toward March and March are not baseless, implying the ANC must engage with underlying grievances rather than dismiss them.

He framed the ANC’s approach as a response to growing momentum behind March and March, while also signalling the party’s discomfort with the movement’s expanding reach and influence.