As it goes into its long-overdue provincial conference, the Western Cape ANC has taken a hard look at itself and found that factionalism and the neglect of coloured voters underpin its electoral failure.
In a confidential document seen by the Mail & Guardian, the party pledges to plough resources from national departments into Western Cape communities to show that it can deliver services.
At the conference, which starts on Friday at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, Deputy International Relations Minister Marius Fransman will take on former provincial chairman Mcebisi Skwatsha. Although some national leaders favour Fransman as a catalyst for coloured voters to return to the ANC, Skwatsha received significant support at regional conferences.
The document, titled “Political Strategy 2011-2014”, underscores “an ideological fault line emanating post-2004 … based upon the false premise that the coloured electoral support was not necessarily a precondition to winning the west”. This had resulted in “strategy, tactics, plans and messages being deployed mainly to African support”.
The report, distributed by Skwatsha’s opponents, also points to “the loss of a number of formidable activists who became disillusioned due to perceived and real infighting and factionalism”. Neglect and alienation were exacerbated by the decline and decimation of local structures, particularly in key constituencies such as Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha, while coloured leaders and voters moved to the Congress of the People and the Democratic Alliance.
The DA’s absorption of local parties also played a role in the ANC’s electoral demise and it had exploited ANC weaknesses. The ANC says winning back the coloured vote is a “precondition to winning the Western Cape”, but it adds that it is not homogenous.
‘Fit for purpose’
It tweaks the DA slogan “fit for purpose”, accusing the party of being “wit for purpose”, a reference to its alleged focus on white interests, and suggests the provincial ANC start a “war room” to coordinate political work.
Meanwhile, allegations that Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel is pushing for members of the Western Cape ANC Youth League to be allowed to vote at the ANC’s provincial conference this weekend have caused an uproar in Cape Town.
Some members of the youth league provincial task team (YLPTT) insist that the provincial league is not in “good standing” and should not vote. The ANC’s national executive committee set up the youth task team after the provincial youth league was dissolved last year. The league has 30 branches in the province instead of about 275 and therefore cannot vote, said ANC provincial task team members.
“This, again, is a desperate attempt to get Marius Fransman some more votes and influence the outcome,” said a member of the youth task team, who asked to remain anonymous. “The league in the province is not in good standing and we will stand up at the conference and object if they’re given status.”
They said the ANC’s youth task team, in the presence of ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe, had decided that the provincial youth league should not vote because it is dysfunctional. At an ANC provincial task team meeting on Wednesday this week, Manuel presented an opinion that the provincial youth league should vote. The M&G has a copy of the opinion, with his covering letter.
Saying that he was enclosing an opinion from Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane on behalf of the NEC constitutional committee, Manuel writes: “The sub-committee is of the view that whilst the Youth League PTT cannot have voting delegates, the Youth League can. We said that we will await their decision. We now have it.”
Chabane’s opinion states that there is a lack of clarity on the issue, and that because of to the lack of time, the constitutional committee could not consider it. “However, consultation was done through rounds with members who could be contacted,” he wrote. Asked to comment, Manuel said: “I do not discuss business that belongs within the organisation with the press.”