ANC ‘in panic mode’ ahead of general election

I have always talked of the ANC being in some form of conundrum or the other, but what it is going through right now has to be the most difficult as it faces its most crucial election since 1994.

As Jacob Zuma dares the ANC to do what it wants to him, if it so wishes, he went further to “form” a rival political party challenging it in the forthcoming elections.

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He says he will remain a “loyal” member of the ANC, despite opposing and challenging it for political power. This is daring. But, of course, he knows and understands the ANC well enough.

With Zuma, the ANC always chose him over principle and discipline because of the “numbers he brings”. Zuma has exploited that to the disadvantage of the ANC and to his own advantage.

To deal with Zuma’s confrontation, the ANC has decided to “appoint” his former wife, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and Zweli Mkhize to “have a word” with him.

I don’t know what the ANC was thinking. I assume it was an attempt to solve it’s problem through its ethnic lens. Both Dlamini-Zuma and Mkhize are from KwaZulu-Natal.

You will recall that both contested for the ANC presidency against incumbent Cyril Ramaphosa.

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As the ANC celebrates it’s 112th anniversary and faces it’s most crucial election yet, the leadership is in panic mode.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has just revealed to the nation that the ANC lied in parliament to protect Zuma during the Nkandla homestead scandal.

This as a sequel to a damaging public protector’s report which implicated Zuma for misusing public funds on the project.

Before the dust had settled, Ramaphosa went on a fearmongering trip when he said: “If the ANC should be defeated in the coming elections, social grants and the Nsfas [National Student Financial Aid Scheme] would be discontinued.”

This is obviously yet another lie by the president of the ANC and, consequently, the country’s president.

Both utterances demonstrate a deep fear by the ANC of losing the elections. The ANC is not only faced with the Zuma factor.

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It is also not certain about how the many newly formed political parties will perform. It is not sure if they would agree to a pact with it, seeing as some are actually its own creation.

There is another elephant in the room, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). While some in the ANC are thinking of a pact with the EFF, some are clearly in disagreement.

The EFF, on the other hand, has a “tea party” relationship with Zuma, the founder of uMkhonto weSizwe party, and it may consider a pact with it.

This is a pact which appears to be more realistic. A pact with the Democratic Alliance will not fly under the present circumstances, where the ANC has to justify that pact ideologically to its membership.

The ANC has always campaigned on a nonracial ideal, but has not been able to put that to the real test, let alone implement it.

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Even its past deputy secretary-general, the late Jessie Duarte, bemoaned the fact that the ANC disregarded the coloured community.

The white membership seems to be limited to leadership, as it always has been. As the debate rages on, members of the ANC, on public platforms, social media and mainstream media are accusing Mbalula of exposing and “de-campaigning” the ANC.

No-one seems to be concerned about the lies of the ANC and its concealment of corrupt activities by it’s leadership. No-one seems to be worried that it is their money that was misused by the ANC.