Jacob Zuma’s RET faction is ‘losing ground fast’

The power and influence of the ANC’s radical economic transformation (RET) faction is waning and indications are that they will be defeated in all provinces except KwaZulu-Natal during the current party election season.

If the result of the Gauteng ANC elections was anything to go by, the glory days of the Jacob Zuma faction are over – as every candidate Zuma’s RET faction supported was defeated in ANC elections.

Some questioned the RET faction’s political strength heading towards the ANC conference in December.

There was doubt the faction would be able to defeat party president Cyril Ramaphosa, who had been able to consolidate his power and influence since Nasrec in 2017.

The RET faction had no clear candidate to challenge Ramaphosa. There was doubt about suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule’s future, even as he claimed he would stand if nominated by branches.

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Political analyst Prof Dirk Kotze said lack of leadership and being fragmented had weakened the RET camp.

“They don’t have a natural national leader,” he said. “Zuma is preoccupied with his own issues and has been isolated from active politics by his parole conditions.

“In terms of the parole – he is supposed to be ill, but he is still seen in a sense as a father figure of the RET [group].”

Their main weakness was speaking as individuals not as a single group.

“RET is not a coordinated movement or a group who sing from the same hymn book,” Kotze said.

“As it is clear that the Phala Phala farm matter is not becoming an issue, it looks like Ramaphosa will be elected easier this time. Even Zweli Mkhize is no real threat because his support is confined to KwaZulu-Natal.”

The RET group lent its support to Lebogang Maile when he contested against Panyaza Lesufi for the ANC provincial chair.

Lesufi won, albeit by a small margin.

Another candidate backed by the faction was Babalo Madikizela in the Eastern Cape. Incumbent Oscar Mabuyane won the race.

RET candidate Mlibo Qoboshiyane, who had the least support in the province, withdrew at the last moment.

Interestingly, in both the Gauteng and Eastern Cape polls, the RET members supported candidates, despite the fact that they did not belong to the faction.

A member closely aligned to Maile, who declined to be named, confirmed that Maile enjoyed RET support during last weekend’s provincial conference, but he did not belong to the faction.

The only association between them was that they were fellow leaders in the ANC Youth League and the Congress of South African Students.