ANC its own worst enemy

Words once spoken by veteran former ANC leaders Dr AB Xuma, Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki have significance in summing up the challenge currently faced by what was once revered as Africa’s glorious liberation movement – now facing a threat to its existence.

In his presidential address to the 1941 ANC national conference, Xuma said: “To Congress, we must be loyal and true. For Congress, we must forget any personal, sectional interests or gain. We must put the cause and the interests of the people before any expediency.”

In closing the watershed inaugural ANC 1969 consultative conference in Morogoro, Tanzania, Tambo reminded delegates: “The order that comes from the conference is, ‘close ranks’. Be vigilant, comrades. The enemy is vigilant. Beware the wedge driver! “Men who creep from ear to ear, driving wedges among us, going around and creating splits and divisions. Beware the wedge driver!

“Watch his poisonous tongue.”

Delivering his political report during the 50th ANC national conference in 1997, Mandela warned: “A number of negative features within the ANC and the broad democratic movement have emerged during the last three years. One of these negative features is the emergence of careerism within our ranks. Many among our members see their membership of the ANC as a means to advance their personal ambitions to attain positions of power and access to resources for their own individual gratification.

“Accordingly, they work to manipulate the movement to create the conditions for their success. During this period, we have also been faced with various instances of corruption involving our own members, including those who occupy positions of authority by virtue of the victory of the democratic revolution. These have sought either to steal public resources or to extort financial tributes from the people.”

Mbeki, one of Africa’s foremost thinkers, three years ago paid a fitting tribute to Tambo on the centenary of the veteran’s birth, by also reminding of deep challenges faced by the ruling party. Until the ANC defeated the rapacious and predatory value system, would it return to its former self, he asked.

According to Mbeki, there were those within ANC ranks “absolutely contemptuous of the most fundamental party values, the core of which is a commitment to selflessly serve the people”.

I have brought up these important excerpts against a background of an ANC that is at war with itself, risking a real threat of implosion if it fails to put its house in order. It has not only become a shadow of its former self, but a party the has continuously failed to heed advice and wisdom of its elders. What kind of a child would do that? Materialism and self-interest are features that now characterise the soul of the ANC.

If fresh remarks by ANC national executive committee member Fikile Mbalula about secretary-general Ace Magashule, former president Jacob Zuma and uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans’ Association leaders Kebby Maphatsoe and Carl Niehaus are anything to go by, the ANC is in deep trouble with itself.

It requires a messiah to take it out of the bondage of patronage, corruption and self-interest. Until President Cyril Ramaphosa, makes a choice between “party unity” and good governance, the ANC faces the prospect of being voted out of power.

Brian Sokutu.

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