Jubie Matlou
The African National Congress intends to kill the South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco) and take over civic politics as part of its drive to put its stamp on all levels of political life in South Africa.
The ANC wants its branches to take up civic issues at local level in a bid to build up its support base and, more importantly, stem populist tendencies and inculcate the party’s “tradition and culture” at local government level. However, the process of phasing out Sanco could take several years.
This radical policy shift is contained in two successive position papers carried by the party’s quarterly journal Umrabulo. “Umrabulo” is an isiXhosa term originally used to inspire political discussion and debate on Robben Island.
This week Sanco and the ANC danced around claims in the weekend press that Sanco was preparing to take on the ANC in the forthcoming local government elections. ANC heavyweights reportedly scoffed at the weekend reports, after which Sanco issued a statement saying it would throw its weight behind the ruling party.
Sanco is part of the ANC/South African Communist Party/Congress of South African Trade Unions alliance, and many of its leaders have gone into government on ANC tickets. However, the relations between the two have been increasingly tense and uncertain. Sanco performed a crucial role before the first democratic election in 1994, presiding over grassroots opposition to the apartheid government.
According to the document quoted in the weekend press, Sanco is considering a number of possible political roles. These include becoming a political party; a watchdog organisation; a development agency; and, finally, a revolutionary social movement.
But the ANC, meanwhile, is proposing that its branches take up civic issues such as community safety and protection, governance and protection of schools, health, fostering township and village- based co-operatives such as stokvels; defending labour tenants on white farms; as well as participation in HIV/Aids- awareness campaigns.
“This is not to say that the existing civic movement should be hurriedly dismantled. There are regions and specific localities in our country in which, for instance, the ANC does not enjoy hegemony. In places like this, politically non- aligned civics might be appropriate organisational forums alongside of our branch structures,” it says in the position paper.
The evolution of ANC branches into civics would also transform the “sociology” of branches from male and youth domination to reflect representation of women and the elderly. This would allow the ANC to determine and enforce party discipline within its ranks.
Jeremy Seekings, a University of Cape Town sociologist, says the question of ANC branches assuming civic functions is not new: “The issue was first hinted at in the early 1990s but couldn’t be implemented because the party was preoccupied with constitutional negotiations.”
The ANC has accused Sanco branches of taking populist positions such as the waiving of arrears for non-payment of municipal service charges – a position that angers ANC councillors.
According to Patrick Bond, of the Wits Graduate School of Public and Development Management, Sanco’s unclear organisational structure also fans the tensions between the two: “The main issue that has bedevilled Sanco as a movement is whether it works on unitary or federal lines; whether the many vibrant civics across South Africa can or would take orders concerning politics or policy from the national office.”
Sanco’s efforts to adapt to post- apartheid South Africa have been marred by tensions surrounding its former leader Moses Mayekiso’s efforts to set up a commercial arm of the civic movement. Mayekiso’s brother, Mzwanele, broke away from Sanco to form the National Association of Residents and Civic Organisations after his brother set up Sanco’s investment holding company.
Ali Tleane, the head of the breakaway movement, said this week: “Sanco was supposed to be an independent watchdog of civil society. But it can’t afford to criticise government, because its leaders are politicians as well. That’s a contradiction in terms. Sanco can’t speak on behalf of civil society because it take orders from the ANC government.”
Seekings believes that the ANC-Sanco tensions will take some years to resolve, and that the alliance is likely to remain intact for the next five years or so. Ironically, the tripartite alliance refers to the ANC/SACP/ Cosatu relationship, but doesn’t include Sanco.
Repeated attempts to get comment on the ANC/Sanco relations from both organisations drew a blank.