In his political report to the ANC elective conference at the weekend, Eastern Cape leader Oscar Mabuyane correctly characterised the party as one that is increasingly losing credibility and public trust.
He attributes this to its failure to deliver on its responsibility in government and the high levels of corruption and corporate capture of state institutions.
“This moment requires a bold leadership that accepts that we cannot do the same things and expect different results,” Mabuyane said.
He further warns of an increasing threat to the ANC’s grip on power by opposition parties.
“They are smelling blood ahead of the 2024 general elections. The opposition parties are not shy about campaigning to ensure there is a coalition government in the national space in 2024 and that they want a similar outcome in KZN and Gauteng provinces.”
While Mabuyane’s analysis is an accurate reflection of the party and our broader political landscape, it is also premised on a false notion that the ANC is the only vehicle through which SA can achieve its economic emancipation and developmental goals.
“We must remember comrades that the ANC contests state power to advance the national democratic revolution. If the ANC is dislodged from state power, the NDR will be in jeopardy,” Mabuyane said.
This is not necessarily true. First, despite what its leaders would have us believe, the ANC is unlikely to reform itself.
Its factionalism is driven by the need of each grouping to control power and public resources for self accumulation rather than service to society.
Therefore the idea of reform is a pipe dream the ANC occasionally brandishes in the hope of clinging on to public support.
Second, while the ANC was previously synonymous with our Struggle for freedom in the past, it has no birthright to lead this nation, nor has it demonstrated a commitment to the emancipation of those who have entrusted it with power.
If anything it has consistently betrayed public trust and compromised the very institutions that form the pillars of our democracy.
SA deserves an ethical leadership that is progressive and committed to addressing the structural crises that make us the most unequal nation in the world.
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