I knew it was going to be brutal, but I didn’t expect such a poor showing. The ANC, as I predicted, lost all the metros and a huge chunk of municipalities. It is now hovering around 33% of general support from the electorate. And the million-dollar question is, what is to be done?
Some suggest, and I agree, that responsibility must be taken and heads must roll. The NEC must resign and an early elective conference called. President Cyril Ramaphosa has long “checked out” and is simply holding the fort until his replacement at next year’s conference.
But what exactly would that achieve? What can this new ANC possibly do that would significantly alter its impending demise? Well, firstly, I think the young Turks in the party must occupy leadership. All those over 60 must retire and/or resign immediately.
Since the entire campaign of the largest opposition party throughout this election was aimed at destroying the ANC, why is there a need to argue that the ANC must go into an alliance with them?
Instead, the new leadership must attempt to consolidate the breakaway parties from the ANC, meaning the EFF and MK Party. This much taunted “axis of evil” is nothing more than a ploy to ensure that the hegemonic position of the ANC is not established again.
Over the years, it has become rather apparent that those with means and money, cotton on to a simple reality that if you give lots of money to certain black people, they will form political parties and whittle away support from the black majority that always voted ANC. The classic divide and rule tactic.
Rise Mzansi, Bosa, the Patriotic Alliance and many more are unwitting products of this strategy. And it works.
This must not be seen as the only reason our people have turned against the ANC. We have scored plenty of own goals over the last 32 years. Corruption and an unwillingness to undertake renewal, poor service delivery at local government level, low, if any, maintenance of critical infrastructure and allowing crime to run amok. This too contributed largely to the trust deficit among our people.
Some may argue that the historic mission of the ANC was attained in 1994. Liberation of the black majority in SA, universal suffrage where a people can choose their preferred government, for the people and by the people. In essence, a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic SA.
The liberation movement that was established for this mission in 1912 must now cease to exist. The next phase is an agenda for a different entity, a political party with a new mission. Economic emancipation of our people, a fair and equitable dispensation. The triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment must be the focus.
The further fragmentation into various factions among the predominantly black parties must come to an end. The new mission must be unity and finding common ground from a policy perspective. The simple fact remains, in every election to date, the DA performs well because its supporters — predominantly white citizens — though not exclusively, vote for the party that protects their interests and their white privileges. Fights against B-BBEE, fights to protect private property rights, fights against tax increases, and so much more.
The macroeconomic policies and outlook between the ANC and the DA might be similar but many pundits and economists will tell you that those policies do not serve the majority of people in SA. And surely that should be our focus if we are to advance as a society — a more economically equal society.
The last idea I offer my comrades is that perhaps the glorious name, the African National Congress, must also cease to exist. A new name for a new chapter. The ANC, SACP, MKP and EFF become the, Labour Party. Has a ring to it, doesn’t it?
But the reality is going to be obfuscation, finger pointing and the blame game. None of the suggestions above will ever see the light of day in the ANC. It will be dismissed as absurd to say the least. But what if accountability and consequences management matter? Surely someone must be held to account for this week’s demonstrative polling failure.
In his 1902 pamphlet, “What is to be done”, Lenin argued that the working class on its own would only develop a “trade-union consciousness” (focusing on day-to-day economic struggles), and that a centralised vanguard party of professional revolutionaries was needed to bring socialist political consciousness to them.
We sadly do not have that in SA today.
• Dr Van Heerden is a senior research fellow at the Centre for African Diplomacy and Leadership at UJ
- The ANC lost all metros and many municipalities, with general support now around 33% of the electorate.
- The NEC is called to resign and an early elective conference proposed, with President Cyril Ramaphosa perceived as holding the fort until his replacement.
- The new ANC leadership should be younger, with those over 60 retiring, and focus on consolidating breakaway parties like the EFF and MK Party.
- The fragmentation among black political parties is seen as a result of strategies funded by wealthy interests to divide ANC supporters.
- The author suggests the ANC, SACP, MKP, and EFF merge into a Labour Party focused on economic emancipation, but doubts such accountability will happen.
