Voters will give ANC another go

It would be easy to look at the local government election manifesto released by the ANC in Pretoria on Monday and criticise the party because there doesn’t seem to be anything new or innovative in it, beyond the normal political posturing and promises.

Yet, you could say the same about most of the political platforms of the parties contesting the election.

But, if you are honest, the ANC’s manifesto is more than empty promises – it is also, whether you like the party or not, a record of the changes it has made in South Africa since it took office in 1994.

Many people now do have housing, electricity, clean water and access to health services and education that they did not have before.

No matter how much the ANC crows about what it has achieved, though, it will never be enough to satisfy everybody and, particularly, all the people whose votes it is seeking.

All around us, we can see evidence of the ANC’s failures. Service delivery has broken down in many areas; crime is rampant; corruption seems to flourish; and the poverty gap between the haves and the have-nots is still enormous.

In releasing the manifesto, President Cyril Ramaphosa was open and frank about the ANC’s failures, vowing once again to rid the party – and the country – of corruption which has cost us so much in terms of social progress.

As some have pointed out, though, this is

almost like the abusive spouse promising a partner that they will change if only they are forgiven and granted one more chance.

The reality is that, abused or not, South Africa’s electorate will give the ANC another chance, no matter its track record or its manifesto promises.

The party is a way of life for many and the alternatives are not tempting enough to get them to leave.