Leadership crisis: ‘ANC experiencing poorest levels of leadership’

The only way to get SA out of the litany of crises it faces is to get the ANC completely out of power.

This is the view of political analyst Prof William Gumede, who said the country finds itself in a leadership crisis.

He said the fact that senior ANC leaders are not singing from the same hymn book on load shedding suggests that the party has ran out of ideas and that it is structurally impossible for it to deliver.

“In the three decades the ANC has been in power, the party is now experiencing its poorest levels of leadership.

“This is also another example of political parties on the African continent staying in power for far too long … it’s a situation of leaders getting worse, more incompetent and clueless by the day.” Gumede described next year’s much-anticipated general election as critical.

“The only way out of this mess for the country will be for a new party to be voted into power. This will not be an easy decision to make for many people who still support the ANC despite the poor services they have been subjected to.

“The ANC is unable to produce fresh blood and it is not like there are no capable people, but the problem is such people are opposed by those who are incompetent,” he said.

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Breakaway parties

Gumede said breakaway parties were not based on ideology but often consisted of those “being pushed out of eating” but they are fundamentally the same as the governing party.

He believed a grid collapse was possible, especially now with the approach of winter. “In the event that we experience a grid collapse – which would mean no internet connection, no ATMS, no fuel, no food – the ANC will likely blame others for their failures.

“All the crises South Africa is facing can only be dealt with by focusing on the root courses, but that is highly unlikely because there are coal interests involved, the police service is captured and they [ANC] are not prepared to take on their own captured colleagues.”

Gumede said strong action against corrupt individuals, irrespective of their political affiliation, could also lead to an ANC break-up.

He warned that the psychological impact of a grid collapse would also see the rand collapsing, causing a huge shock to the country’s system.

He added that the ANC would likely not be elected again. Pranish Desai from Good Governance Africa (GGA) said “leaders need to demonstrate a greater willingness to work across party lines regardless of ideology or short-term political point-scoring before next year’s elections”.

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Coaltions could work

He believed coalition arrangements could work, but political leadership must first improve and the legislative framework on local government to be better adapted to an era where majority governments were no longer the norm.

“As an example, ward councillors are directly accountable to their voters, which means that citizens can become more direct in pressuring their elected representatives [and their parties] to be willing to work with other parties to stabilise coalitions.

“If ward councillors fear for their seats, then their behaviour will start to change,” he said.

Desai said the cholera crisis in Hammanskraal “suggests a leadership crisis as well as a systemic crisis. It is clear that neither the municipal leadership in the Tshwane metro, nor the provincial leadership, have been diligent in their duties.”

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Political analyst Prof Andre Duvenhage said the ANC and Economic Freedom Fighters – sometimes agreeing and sometimes disagreeing – “don’t want to allow any other government to govern … they don’t want them to take over their failures”.

Ahead of the 2024 polls, “the ANC knows it is in trouble and it knows there is a leadership vacuum. The disappearance of Cyril Ramaphosa at critical stages [just allowing people to comment on issues like the provision of arms to Russia], is an indication of the level of leadership we have,” said Duvenhage.

Prof Daniel Meyer, from the University of Johannesburg, said the country needed a decisive leader who would take strong action against any wrongdoing.

“Everything’s affected by good governance, there’s no policy certainty … there is no strategic plan for the economy.”

READ MORE: ‘What leadership crisis?’ asks ActionSA, as infighting breaks out in party

– stephent@citizen.co.za