ANC election manifestos ‘not grounded on services anticipated in SA’s constitution’

As ANC bigwigs yesterday converged to review the party election manifesto ahead of next year’s watershed national and provincial polls, political experts have warned that unless the appraisal was based on adherence to the provisions of the constitution and interests of the South African citizenry, the party faced a bruising battle.

This, against the background of a Democratic Alliance-led moonshot pact being mooted by opposition parties, set to thrash out strategies and tactics to unseat the ruling party.

Service delivery

Addressing the ANC election manifesto indaba, President Cyril Ramaphosa, in the political overview, covered progress that the ANC had made in working together, “moving mountains” and making a great deal of progress towards service delivery.

These included resolution of the water challenge in Hammanskraal – like Msunduzi in KwaZulu-Natal – “showing that if we are able to work together, we will be able to resolve those issues”.

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“If you look at the new era of the district development model – breaking down the silos and being able to work much more effectively – we will be able to achieve a great deal.

“On 1 November, we will decide who our leaders will be at municipal level, breaking down the silos and being able to work much more closely.”

‘Too many problems’ in ANC manifesto

However, independent political analyst Sandile Swana said there were “too many problems in this [ANC] manifesto”.

He added: “The first problem is that ANC election manifestos are not grounded on services that are anticipated in the constitution.

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“Hence, the Constitutional Court [ConCourt] has found against them on several cases, which include housing.

“During the Thabo Mbeki administration [1999-2008], human settlements were building 10 houses for every shack counted.

“So, they were eradicating shacks and giving people houses. The issue of housing is prominent in the Freedom Charter, with the eradication of [informal settlements] being equally prominent.

“But the ANC in public office has not been able to do that, something the ConCourt has called on the ANC government to accelerate.

“The ANC cannot increase its offering to the SA citizenry because it is a weak government, which must have a few priorities and succeed in them.

“The other area where there is a disjuncture between the ANC and the cries of the people, is crime in South Africa – and there are simple ways of eradicating that phenomenon.

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“[Gauteng premier] Panyaza Lesufi has tried to find a way of eradicating crime and lawlessness. If we follow Lesufi’s crime-busting strategy and the enforcement of bylaws, whereby people cannot build what they like, where they like – little shops and spazas everywhere – all laws must be enforced.”

Quality of schools

Swana said the quality of schools and the quality of learning was a big problem in schools.

“[South] African children are not competitive on the continent.”

Senior research associate with the Institute for Global Dialogue Sanusha Naidu said: “The ANC must align itself to the South African realities and must be clear as to why it is reviewing the document and talking to realities on the public.

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“On the one hand, it is a good exercise, but it is one that requires a host appraisal,” she said, “one that requires [firm discussions] on where the party is and how it is not connecting to the electorate on the ground, and on how it has lost support.”