Fear of losing power forces the ANC back to its roots

The prospects of losing power in future elections have forced the ANC to rethink its survival strategy, including going back to the grassroots to revive its old-style “organs of people’s power” that connected it with communities in the ’90s.

Because of the dwindling electoral performance that began in local government in 2016, when it lost three crucial metros, the party is busy reviewing its survival strategy.

The renewal project is seen as an opportunity to return the party to its struggle-era “people’s movement” identity.

This was hinted by ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile, who announced the ANC planned to “initiate the formation of street committees in urban areas to deepen democracy and safeguard the personal security of residents”.

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The street committees were the force behind ANC strength after its unbanning in 1990, working alongside the newly launched party branches.

They were part of organs of people power, along with civic structures that affiliated to the United Democratic Front, an internal arm of the ANC. The ANC’s change of heart to include the broader community in the nomination of its council candidates for the November elections was the first instalment of its new approach.

Previously, only card-carrying ANC members nominated candidates among themselves on behalf of a ward, without community participation. The devolution of democracy to the grassroots appeared to be the new norm in the ANC.

By reviving street committees and other organs of people’s power, the ANC is hoping to attract more voters in future elections. But whether this will work is under question because conditions had changed since the ’90s.

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Many branches are at loggerheads with their provincial and regional leaderships, which permeate the entire party. While elective provincial conferences are scheduled for between April and July, the legitimacy of some of the meetings could be questioned due to allegations of manipulation of branch general meeting election results by provincial leaderships.

Some provincial conferences could hold elections with few delegates because many branches do not qualify to attend the gatherings, due to a lack of quorum. Mpumalanga kicks off the provincial conferences at the weekend, followed by Eastern Cape on 22 to 24 April.

The Western Cape, North West, and Gauteng conferences are scheduled for May and June, while KwaZulu-Natal’s will be in July, a month after the ANC national policy conference.