It is common knowledge that the support for the ANC has been in decline for one reason or the other for some time.
The problem, however for the ANC, has been its inability to do a proper introspective diagnostic analysis – so that it could locate where lay the problem. Leaders of the ANC in the past, present and probably in the future have been tearing themselves out of the ANC one after the other to form their own political parties.
Party exits leave no lasting impact
Robert Sobukwe left the ANC and birthed the PAC. Did that shake the ANC? No. Terror Lekota and Mbhazima Shilowa left the ANC and had their still birthed baby COPE. Did that shake the ANC? No.
Malema is a non-issue. Because the ANC under the direct instructions of former alleged corrupt tribalistic ANC Jacob Zuma, got fired from the ANC. Julius Malema, together with Floyd Shivambu, formed a promising youthful political party EFF. It had all the essentials to succeed, but for the fact that they were wet behind their ears in so far as politics are concerned and progressively started destroying their own legacy in parliament and everywhere.
The last straw for the EFF was when Shivambu divorced himself from the EFF. He left to join a party formed by an alleged corrupt leader, the one they themselves used to insult in parliament. If Shivambu thinks that Zuma has forgotten about all the insults he used to hurl on him, he better think twice. Zuma is not made from the forgiving cloth. Nonetheless, did their departure from the ANC (Malema and Shivambu ) shake it? No.
A convicted former ANC President Jacob Zuma facing many allegations of corruption committed during his period as both the ANC and SA government president respectively, left the ANC.
Enter Jacob Zuma
For some unexplainable reasons, the departure of an alleged corrupt former president Jacob Zuma facing so many allegations of corruption charges seems to have shaken the ANC broadly to a point that a meek KZN ANC PEC Provincial Secretary Bheki Mtolo attributed ANC KZN PEC poor leadership performance in the 29 May 2024 general elections to the fact that former convicted President Jacob Zuma was more popular in KZN than our current President Matamela C. Ramaphosa.
He went on to say if the ANC NEC wanted to blame the KZN PEC leadership for performing so dismally in the 29 May general elections, the ANC NEC led by Ramaphosa and our secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, must themselves take the blame for the overall poor performance of the ANC nationally. In short, Mtolo was saying that before the ANC NEC could point a finger at the KZN PEC leadership, the ANC NEC must, or should know that the three fingers are pointing at it (ANC NEC) as well.
The same logic albeit for not too similar reasoning to the KZN ANC PEC one, was proffered by the ANC Gauteng PEC led by Panyaza Lesufi (Chairperson) and TK Nciza (Provincial Secretary) respectively which nose-dived big time during the 29 May general elections.
ANC NEC mandate
A mockery about the ANC political school will be that if some leaders of the ANC PECs do not comprehend the role which the ANC NEC plays or should play, then something drastic has to be done about the curriculum of the ANC Political School.
The main purpose of the ANC NEC is to, inter alia, direct policy formulation and provide leadership to the ANC, its structures and society as a whole through its manifestos. Where policies, and, read in this instance campaigns for the national and provincial elections are not well run and managed by the ANC PECs, ANC RECs, ANC Zones and ANC Branches, it is well within the ANC NEC to demand accountability from its structures and, where possible, crack the whip.
Local government elections
The ANC NEC, if it wants to see the dawn of 2026 Local Government General Elections, will have to deal decisively with inept leadership in its ranks. It will have to go beyond firmness in dealing with its leaders if it is to convince the voters in 2026. How firmness is firm for the purpose of regaining the much-lost ground, is the issue which the ANC NEC must grapple with. Not today, but yesterday, since they are running against prescription.
Time is eloping against the ANC. Society, however, has some minimal faith in the ANC. The ball is in the ANC’s court. Some ANC ministers in the GNU are seemingly outperformed by their counterparts.
- Mahlodi S. Muofhe is South Africa ambassador to South Sudan and writes in his personal capacity
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