How long will it take before the ANC pays the price?

Kate Bapela, spokesperson for the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC), has made it plain that the ANC’s attempt to walk away from its own incompetence in failing to submit its candidate lists for the local government elections in time simply won’t wash.

“We are dealing with very experienced political parties. If they are not experienced, we would worry. All political parties have got a front-row seat to the chief electoral officer… If there are any problems, they know his door is always open and we have always dealt with that over the years.”

Bapela said the IEC had given repeated reminders to all political parties ahead of the closing date of 23 August.

The ANC had withdrawn its legal action at the Electoral Court, which sought to have the process reopened.

Perhaps that means they believe the court will agree with them and then the discussion about missed deadlines will be moot.

However, the seriousness of the ANC tardiness was revealed in court papers, in a submission by its deputy secretary-general, Jesse Duarte, which argued that, if the electoral process continued, it would result in 35 municipalities having a change in government or in main opposition without a single vote being cast.

Some political experts believe that if the ANC’s incompetence is punished, the polls will be farcical because many voters, not seeing their party (the ANC) on the ballot paper, will spoil their votes.

That is a plausible scenario given the fact that, love them or loathe them, the ANC is the most popular party in the country.

And therein lies the problem. The ANC is so comfortable in its inefficiency and sloth because it knows people will continue to vote for it.

But, how long will the people of SA continue to accept being taken advantage of by their rulers?