Factionalism is slowly but surely being decimated in ANC

The ANC, while still having unresolved issues with its structures – particularly at branch level – is experiencing relative peace since the last national conference at Nasrec last December.

Before that, we watched with awe how the ruling party was trying to bite itself to death with factionalism and internal squabbles at their worst. The peace can be attributed to a number of things.

Cyril Ramaphosa, who is doing a second term as president of the ANC, had been able to take full control of the party.

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Unlike in the first term when his opponents, the radical economic transformation (RET) faction, had high hopes to regain power at the next national general council that was deferred due to Covid, or the following national conference in December last year.

The RET’s five years to return to power did not materialise. Rather, all the RET advocates – from Jacob Zuma to Ace Magashule and Carl Niehaus – found themselves in isolation. The RET project is dead as some of its senior members established their own organisations or joined existing like-minded parties. One doubts if the RET would ever be resurrected.

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The ANC no longer has two military veterans’ bodies. There is a single party veterans’ league and all veterans speak with one voice, except for some individuals who might be hallucinating about the grand old days of MK Military Veterans’ Association, that was steered in the wrong direction by its late leader Kebby Maphatsoe and Niehaus, who has since left the ANC and established his own Radical Economic Transformation Movement that’s yet to fly.

The original RET has been replaced by a new faction led by Zweli Mkhize, who was also elected as an NEC member at Nasrec. The faction only has sway in KwaZulu-Natal and North West, with limited following in Limpopo. But they pose no threat to the Ramaphosa camp, which has a firm grip not only on the ANC, but state power.

These are all indications that factionalism is slowly but surely being decimated in the party. The election of a single-minded cohort of seven national office bearers of the NEC also contributed.

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Even Paul Mashatile as deputy president and Nomvula Mokonyane as secretary-general, both elected outside the Ramaphosa slate, seem to conform and appear dedicated to the organisation’s work. Their cooperation has brought stability at the top.

Luthuli House has a new sheriff in Fikile Mbalula as secretary-general. With his razzmatazz, Mbalula has made the right noises to deal with factionalism and ill-discipline among members.

The party’s national working committee is travelling the country, visiting structures to deal with infighting and correcting the wrongs that occurred before Nasrec and the 2021 November local government elections – including the hot potato of parachuted councillors that threatens to derail the ANC’s plan to win the 2024 national election.

But the current peace in the party may be just calm before a big storm because at state level, nothing looks rosy at all.

After almost 30 years in power, nothing will convince the electorate that the ANC would be able to improve the lives of the poor citizens.

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Rather, the situation was getting worse, with contaminated water and disease outbreaks in Hammanskraal, corruption, deteriorating state and poor service delivery.

The ANC should accept losing power to become one of the parties that will form the envisaged national coalition government.