Failure to deal with issues costing ANC support – expert

With next year’s local government elections expected to be fiercely-contested, a political analyst – citing ongoing revelations of graft in government and the ANC’s failure to discipline its deployed cadres – has predicted that the polls would show signs of the governing party’s demise.

Dr Mazwe Majola of the Worldwide Institute of Leadership and Development, said widespread corruption was at the core of the party losing credibility and trust among South Africans, with ANC leaders “brazenly defying ANC rules and instructions from the national executive committee [NEC] to step aside if implicated in corrupt activities”.

“They continue to pooh-pooh the party’s integrity committee recommendations, deriding NEC instructions to step aside, while clearing their names in courts of law.

“If party members deployed to government continue to dis-respect the organisation, the demise of the ANC is in the offing,” maintained Majola.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa is trying to lead the party to-wards the desired direction, but is hamstrung by comrades who are working against him.”

While echoing Majola’s sentiments on the ANC coming under “substantial pressure in the next local government polls”, political economy expert Daniel Silke said corruption would not be enough to unseat the governing party from power.

“I am not sure corruption on its own is enough to unseat the ANC,” said Silke.

“I think economic hardship, service delivery inefficiency and failure of ANC public representatives to connect with local communities are likely to chip away at the ANC over the next while.

“Corruption is one of the key factors that will demobilise ANC voters or make them think twice about voting.

“It is not enough on its own, but a contributory factor.”

Silke said Ramaphosa’s hands were “largely tied to only implement ANC policy”.

“Leaders of a political party can only implement what the party allows them to do.

“Ramaphosa sits as head of a party, which has a series of policies – all voted on over the last decade under the Jacob Zuma presidency.

“ANC members have often said resolutions are passed at national conferences but leaders refuse to implement them.

“There is a very large disconnect between the Ramaphosa elite and the rank and file, which still represent the last years of Zuma.

“If Ramaphosa was strong enough to impose his will on the party and begin to suggest policy formulation into the future, it would take years for the ANC to vote on them.

“Another factor is that Ramaphosa may also still be fragile within the ANC and maybe wanting to consolidate his support base on a personal level,” said Silke.

He said opposition parties “should blame themselves for not capitalising on ANC weaknesses” in the run-up to next year’s polls.

“There has been a general disarray within the opposition,” said Silke.

“Until voters see opposition parties as being attractive enough, in terms of policy certainty and personalities, they will not feel secure voting for the opposition that will not under-mine an ability to get a job, salary or state pension,

“The ANC has been successful in keeping voters through dependency politics.

“The ANC ultimately hands out the benefits, jobs and social income grants.

“The inability of opposition parties to really crack that helps keep the ANC in power.”

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