The ANC policy document drafted for its national general council (NGC) in December marks a shift from the usual chest-thumping and asks some provocative questions. But its analysis points to a glaring weakness: the absence of credible leaders.
The NGC’s purpose is midterm policy deliberation. It will bring together 1,650 delegates from the branches, leagues and alliance partners. It will also be the first national gathering including branch representatives since the party’s resounding setback in the election last year and the formation of the GNU.
There is deep despondency in the party over its electoral fortunes and the growing realisation that the decline is likely to persist for the medium term, and perhaps longer.
The document proposes harsher consequences for corruption (hardly new), rejects the tendency towards African nationalism in its ranks — “narrow Africanist or ethnic chauvinist views” — and urges a renewed commitment to nonracialism.
On the economy, the party is set to mull broadening the mandate of the Reserve Bank to pay more attention to easing unemployment and reviewing its broad-based BEE policies to benefit more than just the elite. It will discuss the perennial ambition of creating a social compact; introduction of a basic income grant; an extensive infrastructure build programme, promoting industrialisation; and a war room on unemployment. Much of this, of course, has been heard before.
Proposals on renewal of the ANC itself, viewed as the key to reversing its electoral decline, are centred on leadership. The NGC marks the midway point between the last elective conference in 2022 and the next, scheduled to take place in 2027. Deputy President Paul Mashatile is widely seen as a front-runner for the post, with secretary-general Fikile Mbalula also a strong contender.
The Sunday Times reported over the weekend that Patrice Motsepe, touted as a contender in earlier media reports, has no interest in running for the party presidency.
The question the ANC faces ahead of the NGC is whether its approach to the leadership question goes far enough to arrest its electoral decline
Another candidate who was gaining prominence was police minister Senzo Mchunu, but his chances seemed to evaporate after he was put on “a leave of absence” by President Cyril Ramaphosa. He was effectively axed after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi linked him to an organised crime syndicate and accused him of having sinister motives for dissolving the political killings task team in KZN.
The commission of inquiry set up by Ramaphosa to unravel the allegations is set to commence its work on September 17. It is due to deliver an interim report after three months, and a final report in six months. Mkhwanazi is set to be the first witness. For now, Mchunu’s chances of contesting the ANC leadership appear bleak.
While Mashatile was the face of the internal ANC opposition to Jacob Zuma for much of the former president’s two terms in office, he has been tarnished by News24’s reporting on his lifestyle. He has admitted to being bankrolled by his son-in-law, partly through doing business with the state.
The question the ANC faces ahead of the NGC is whether its approach to the leadership question goes far enough to arrest its electoral decline. Its policy document paints an idealistic picture of the perfect leader — one entirely divorced from facts on the ground.
“Leadership goes far beyond moral uprightness (though ethical conduct is non-negotiable). A true leader should leave no doubt about their commitment to the people, to the cause, and to the movement’s values,” the document proclaims.
“They must be able to articulate the problems of South African society not only in theoretical terms, but in their historical development and real-world manifestations, including the intertwined dynamics of race, class, gender and spatial inequality.
“They must know what is to be done — not as a rhetorical flourish — but as a practical, programmatic response to the crises confronting our society. They must reject the creeping culture of consumerism, the glorification of opulence, and the ostentatious display of ill-gotten wealth that have so tainted public perceptions of leadership.
“Above all, they must serve the people,” the document reads.
“Progress will not be driven by slogans, individual charisma, or institutional legacy alone. It will be driven by leaders who inspire trust, build unity, implement transformative programmes, and lead with integrity in every sphere of public life.”
It’s a tall order, given the calibre of leaders elected by the ANC over the past two decades.
Ramaphosa’s election was marked, at the time of his ascent in 2017, as a point of renewal and change for the ANC. While his presence at the helm arrested the party’s decline in support in the 2019 election, his aura evaporated during his second term, culminating in the ANC’s 17 percentage point plunge in the results last year.
The Phala Phala scandal damaged him, but perhaps more serious is the unshakeable perception that he is merely moonlighting as head of state and that his attention is on entirely different matters.
While the ANC’s electoral decline can be attributed directly to the rise of Zuma’s MK Party, Ramaphosa’s failure to usher in meaningful, tangible reform in either the party or the country played a pivotal role.
While the NGC marks a moment of reflection for the ANC, there is little sign it could revitalise its internal leadership to the extent described in the policy document. Since the quality of leadership is at the heart of its attempt at renewal and reform, both will remain elusive, at least over the next electoral cycle.
Key thinkers in the party — among them former deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe — have in the past suggested that true resurrection of the party might require an outright electoral loss.
In this way, the party could purge itself of the excesses that have taken root and rebuild. This may be the path along which it is already headed, willingly or not.
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