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The ANC in Gauteng has been given new leaders who are expected to gain the support of voters in the province. Picture: Michel Bega
Despite preaching renewal and a restructuring, the ANC in Gauteng is unlikely to enjoy the same support and prominence it once did.
This is the view of political analyst Sanet Solomon.
The ANC mother body has appointed a task team to help the province rebuild its structures and renew itself following a dismal performance at the 2024 general elections.
The ANC in Gauteng will now be led by a Provincial Task Team (PTT) led by party veteran Amos Masondo as convenor and Panyaza Lesufi as co-convenor. The legislature’s speaker, Ntombi Mekgwe, will serve as another deputy convenor of the province.
Hope Papo and Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko are other names that have been selected to turn the province around in the PTT.
This team is expected to prepare several regions for elective conferences and take the province to the local government elections next year.
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Solomon told The Citizen that the party was declining and only had itself to blame.
“The party had more than 30 years to govern and consistently disappointed voters and their communities. Given this, people are looking for alternatives,” Solomon said.
“The question is, which party would step up to the plate and garner the support of these communities?”
Another political analyst, Theo Neethling, told The Citizen the ANC may be making Gauteng a scapegoat for its larger failures.
“The party is in trouble the latest research shows that the party stands at 32% they have not done well in the elections and now they have shifted the blame to the provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal,” he said.
Neethling said the party’s national leadership should take responsibility for a decline in votes in most provinces.
“Will the appointment of a task team help them? I think it could in Gauteng, but not in KwaZulu-Natal because there is the MK party in KZN. I do not think that they will make inroads there,” he said.
Meanwhile, the PTT working committee in Gauteng had their first meeting on Monday.
ANC spokesperson Mzi Khumalo said they received a handover report from the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC). This report included governance issues and a report on the elections.
“Accordingly, the PTT officials met with the previous PEC Office Bearers/Officials to receive a handover report covering the state of the organisation, the elections report, and the governance report,” Khumalo said.
Khumalo said the PTT will also start implementing some of the programmes that are essential to the rebuilding process.
The PTT Working Committee agreed to implement tasks in line with the mandate received immediately.
This includes fostering the organisation’s unity, rebuilding the organisation’s structures, engaging in the party’s renewal process, ensuring that all members receive political education with the initial focus on the foundation course and ensuring leaders work together to strengthen the party.
The party also plans to go back to basics by focusing on renewing the branches and including religious and traditional leaders in the organisation’s work.
There will also be an audit of all members in Gauteng and a focus on recruiting new members to the ANC.
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