The ANC must urgently revive itself for the sake of South Africa and Africa

The ANC is one of the early outshoots of the Pan African Congress of 1900. Herein lies its pan-Africanist ideals enunciated by the early leaders of our liberation struggles whose focus was the total liberation of our continent from the clutches of colonialism beyond the confines of the artificially imposed colonial boundaries. 

The presence of many beyond the borders of the Union of South Africa at its inauguration in 1912 is an illustration of this character. These Africans were not only drawn from within the borders of the Union but from Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Swaziland, and all of them claiming the “Congress” as theirs.

It is not surprising that the South African National Native Congress, the forerunner to the ANC, in 1918 changed its constitution to emphasise a pan-Africanist outlook rather than a narrow focus on pursuing the struggle within the borders of the Union of South Africa. Pursuant to this in 1923, it was to change its name to the African National Congress with the slogan Mayibuye i-Africa. 

This would later influence the formation of similar but independent liberation movements across the continent whose sole purpose was to defeat colonialism. 

Part of ANC’s legitimacy is drawn from this historical background, of being the movement of the people of Africa. The other pillars of struggle depended on this character, this made it possible for the ANC to convince the world that the struggle against apartheid was a struggle for all humanity, hence the unprecedented solidarity with the oppressed people of South Africa. The continent would provide the base from which the armed struggle and propaganda could be unleashed. None of the political players in South Africa and the rest of the continent could claim such a legacy.

A liberated South Africa would be a catalyst for the total liberation of Africa and provide hope to the diaspora. This combination of history, ideological orientation and practical steps towards Africa’s renaissance indicates the most powerful and abiding vision that drives the ANC more than any other party in South Africa and the continent. To this end, former president Thabo Mbeki makes the following summary “… our liberation movement has always been pan-African in its outlook and therefore, we have an obligation to make our humble contribution to the regeneration of our continent”.

Even after the defeat of apartheid, the ANC in large measure remained true to its values, principles and practical commitment to transforming South Africa. The government it led designed an economic programme that delivered peace, stability, employment, growth and services from 1994 to 2009. 

This ability to adapt and respond to prevailing conditions was to be one of the defining characteristics of the ANC’s work in government to redress the mammoth apartheid legacy. This was not only felt in South Africa but throughout the continent, while the South African government began to fight with confidence and punch above its weight in world affairs.

This sense of relevance and triumph led to a lack of vigilance in the ANC and government. This led to infiltration of the ANC by those who cared the least about its values and principles, those who have always been the enemies of the struggle to occupy central positions in the ANC, and simple staffriders, all of them seeing the ANC as a vehicle for selfish material accumulation. Theoretical and progressive political thoughts are absent except for the sporadic spewing of revolutionary-sounding phrases.

The resilience of the foundations of post-apartheid society built during 1994 endured both the self-created crisis and the financial crisis for some time. Nevertheless, the ANC’s internal conflicts, the installation of incompetent leadership and high levels of corruption or wanton thieving overshadowed such resilience from 2009. 

We need to dispute the false narrative that post-apartheid South Africa was an unmitigated disaster from the onset. Any notion that corruption is a defining feature of a democratic South Africa is an insult to many committed South Africans who continue to do their best to build a country that should be a pride for all of us. We must defend such a legacy, advance the successes achieved, acknowledge and rectify the mistakes and missteps made.

The ANC continues to battle with the idea of the unity of purpose. It relies heavily on past glory and radical rhetoric. It soon lost the initiative to provide strategic political and economic direction. 

Those whose mission has always been the destruction of the ANC and the vision of a national democratic revolution are now accompanied by the intense determination of the opposition parties to ensure that “ANC must die”. This they do regardless of the absence of an alternative plan on their part to transform South Africa.

Even some of the leaders of the ANC have turned into prophets of doom and communicate the message that the ANC is beyond redemption.

The election of quality leadership, with boldness and clear vision, and with a commitment to turn such a vision into a workable plan for the transformation of our country and renaissance of Africa is what is urgently required. The collapse of the ANC will not only be catastrophic for South Africa, but for the rest of the continent and will ensure the triumph of new colonialism.

The crisis in the ANC and the country has led to negative outcomes. Among those are:

• The lack of standing of South Africa in the rest of the continent and the world. Africa quite correctly expects the South African government under ANC leadership to help provide direction to the continent and to intervene in finding solutions to many of the problems facing it and to ensure that Africa’s voice in the world matters. South Africa is absent in this regard.

• The crisis of political legitimacy of the ANC leadership at home and in the Southern African Development Community region is palpable. The government is limping from one crisis to the next. The consistent reactionary political posture of ANC leadership in government can only spell disaster.

• Despite numerous conferences, endless meetings, commissions, access to state capacity and working with its so-called alliance partners, the ANC still is unable to provide inspirational and credible political vision, plan and direction. 

• The persisting economic crisis has a direct negative effect on the population. The current energy crisis on its own is a clear example of a rudderless government. The government today has all the hallmarks of a failing administration — the declining economy, increasing debt crisis, rising unemployment, deepening levels of poverty and unaffordable cost of living, glaring and unsustainable levels of inequality, and uncontrollable levels of economic and violent crimes. 

• The major crisis facing South Africans today is the feeling of insecurity owing to the unacceptably high levels of crime. Crime is organised and transnational. There is no credible crime intelligence, prevention and detection plan. Commercial crime has reached transnational levels and law enforcement agents do not have the wherewithal to deal with this. The government is therefore failing its basic responsibility, to protect its citizens.

• The ANC seems to have lost the ability to conceive and design progressive policies to transform South Africa. At its recent policy conference, there was not a single fresh idea. Those entrusted with the responsibility of governance appear more concerned about ensuring their personal survival at best or looting the state resources at worst. The last national conference in 2017 was fully aware of this and hence it regarded the issue of ANC’s renewal as a matter of life and death. But it has articulated no coherent idea and plan for the renewal project. 

This reality has only one effect, the collapse of our country — as experienced in most countries on the continent. 

The continued existence of two nations in the same country is not sustainable. A minority of South Africans, the white and black “middle” class, have semi-grated to exclusive suburbs, with their children in private schools, access to private health care, protected by private security and high walls, who only use private transport and are sheltered from the realities of the majority of South Africans. 

The opposition parties offer no alternative plan. Their narrow obsession with the death of the ANC impedes their ability to think beyond that point. This leads to the apathy of the population during elections, the majority of whom are not prepared to vote for a corrupt ANC but then refuse to vote for any other party.

We then return to the ANC because of its history, popular appeal in the psyche of many South Africans, good and bad experiences in government, political infrastructure, historical policy bank, its size and entrenchment in government. Its implosion means the implosion of the country. 

The ANC will dominate the political space for some time. Its future is linked to that of the country. The ANC owes it to itself, to South Africa, the continent and future generations to transform and renew itself for it to be a genuine instrument of liberation.

This renewal process must be premised on some harsh realities:

• The counter-revolutionary programme that has taken root in the ANC must be defeated;

• The large number of members of the ANC who share neither the values or principles of the ANC is its downfall, and these are now in the majority;

• The alienation of thought leaders to guide the movement through the turbulent times on political scenarios, economic policies and planning, safety and security, international relations, and national interest matters, cannot continue unabated;

• The uninspiring leadership must take full responsibility and be prepared to leave their positions for those who are interested, committed and able; 

• Unless the ANC leadership urgently take steps towards renewal and not entrenchment of their own position this situation cannot be reversed; and

• The renewal of the ANC is imperative. 

Such renewal must mean that:

• The ANC has a new member and that new member must meet a criterion in terms of behavioural character, levels of competence, demonstrable commitment to the advancement of community and national interest rather than preoccupation with being in government or position of influence for personal material benefit. 
• The ANC must disabuse itself of being a refuge for staff riders, crooks and the unemployable.

• The election of a lean and mean national executive committee by members in general and fraternal organisations instead of branches, whose principal task would be to focus on the renewal programme, in particular, new membership to be done through an independent team,

• Preparing clear policy positions for the 2024 elections,

• The development of a new set of practical policies that addresses food production, youth development, a new philosophy on education, ends unemployment, ends South Africa’s high levels of inequality and spatial development, and develops clarity on the relations with neighbouring states, beyond the current rhetoric.

• The creation of an exhaustive skills audit that is required for the civil service, state- owned enterprises, foreign service, infrastructure and technology, and commence a strong and intentional programme of nation-building.

• Develop a national youth strategy underpinned by a programme of national youth service to ensure a future generation that is patriotic, skilled, and committed change-agents for the betterment of our country and the continent.

The current leadership must realise that they are central to the demise of the ANC. This leadership must, in cooperation with other known and unknown cadres of our movement, be assisted by a core of progressive professional groupings and personnel from fraternal movements to create renewal machinery to manage this process.

Time is of the essence and from the lessons learnt if this opportunity is missed and the ANC gets out of power a chance of recovery is almost zero and the idea of advancing the national democratic revolution and fundamental transformation of our country into a united, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa will simply die. The consequences of that are dire not only for South Africa but for the rest of our continent.

Anda Bici is an ANC member and activist and works in the energy sector.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Mail & Guardian.