Consider, first, the scale of the present crisis. South Africa’s sorry state — from water scarcity to state plunder and from racial inequity to a heinous war on women — can no longer be relegated to a temporary and unfortunate setback. This many-headed crisis is directly linked to abject ANC failure.
Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh speaks to political analyst Lukhona Mnguni about whether the ANC’s grip on power will be over for good, what comes after the ANC, and would it be preferable? Last week Mpofu pushed readers to imagine a future beyond the ANC? Suppose that tomorrow the ANC was liquidated. Presume that all political parties died — no Economic Freedom Fighters, Democratic Alliance or Good party. Imagine, then, that the Constitution was abolished, and any possible economic policy was feasible. In sum, envision a blank slate upon which to refashion the project of South Africa — if that name even survived.
Sure, this thought experiment is a pipe dream. But it is not designed to be true. Rather, the experiment should upset our deeply held assumptions to spur an urgent sense of national self-examination.
In this video, Welsh talks to Mnguni about some of the questions that arise when South Africans envision a future without the ANC.
Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh is a lecturer in the department of international relations at the University of the Witwatersrand.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Mail & Guardian.