PODCAST: The state of South African politics – Is unity and renewal in the ANC even possible?

There’s never a dull day in South African politics, with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) inevitably dominating the headlines, usually for all the wrong reasons.

Since the election of Cyril Ramaphosa as president of the ANC in 2017, there has been a lot of talk about the unity and renewal of the ANC.

This goal, however, begs many questions on whether it is even remotely possible for the governing party to achieve.

Senior Digital Reporter for The Citizen Stephen Tau invited The Citizen’s Political Editor, Eric Naki, to further unpack factional battles within the ANC and how they are impacting negatively on governance in the country.

Listen here:

ALSO READ: “We’re not enemies”: Ramaphosa faces booing KZN delegates, urges unity

The internal factional battles which have been intensifying, with some groups calling themselves the Radical Economic Transformation (RET) and the Ramaphosa camp, have also seen ANC stalwarts and particularly former president Thabo Mbeki featuring a lot more in party activities.

At a recent event, the memorial service of the fallen ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte, Mbeki warned that the party will suffer serious consequences if it fails to self-correct.

Also Read: Kgalema Motlanthe reminds ANC members that leaders must be ethical, moral

Just this week while announcing the nomination process and rules for the ANC’s much awaited national elective conference later this year, party stalwart and chairperson of the Electoral Committee (EC), Kgalema Motlanthe, said the ANC’s success will be determined by the quality of leadership who will be elected into the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).