Only a Transformed ANC can Lead South Africa to Prosperity
Hamadziripi Tamukamoyo, Researcher, Crime and Justice Programme, ISS Pretoria
South Africa faces the pressing problems of unemployment, poverty, material inequality, failing education and health systems, and a sluggish economy. Consequently, there was some anticipation regarding the policy choices that would emerge from the recent African National Congress (ANC) 4th National Policy Conference, held from 26 to 29 June. Although ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe claimed that there were ‘robust’ and ‘candid’ discussions, it still remains unclear where the ANC is taking the country on key policy matters such as state intervention in the economy, fixing the education system and land reform. It is also questionable whether there were indeed open and frank discussions about the current ANC leadership. From proceedings at the policy conference it is clear that at this juncture the ANC is unable to provide the kind of inclusive and cohesive leadership urgently required to solve the country’s main challenges.
Scenario planning expert Clem Sunter, writing in his News24 online column of 7 June, says that the most economically successful countries have had periods of ‘inclusive leadership’ where the head of the country has managed to bring together disparate groups to work together towards the greater good. Unfortunately, the current ANC leadership continues to fail in this regard. The issue of nationalisation, which has for some time hindered foreign and domestic investment, is an example. Political analyst Steven Friedman, writing in the Business Day of 11 July, argues that the ‘ANC alliance includes both left-wingers who distrust business and racial nationalists who want to shift more assets from white to black hands’. Both sides ‘have an interest in restricting property rights’, he says. The ANC leadership is well aware of the various positions within the party concerning the issue of nationalisation and its task is to bring together opposing interest groups and work out a compromise that will address some of these concerns and build investor confidence. Improved confidence would give impetus to prospective and current investors to commit more to the South African economy and fuel economic growth.
To some extent it appears as though the policy conference resulted in some level of compromise between the different perspectives. In his closing address at the conference President Jacob Zuma said, ‘With regards to minerals, there was a broad consensus that minerals belong to the people as a whole and should be governed by the democratic developmental state in the interests of all South Africans. Mining should have a developmental impact and promote job creation. The state should also capture an equitable share of mineral resource rents and deploy them in the interests of long-term economic growth, development and transformation.’ This statement, however, seemed to be interpreted differently by different groups in the ANC. For example, the ANC Youth League, which has called for the wholesale nationalisation of mines without paying compensation, said in a statement, ‘We welcome … the resolution for the nationalisation of mines and other strategic sectors of the economy.’ However, this was disputed by National Executive member Enoch Godongwana, who said that the ANC had decided ‘not to pursue the nationalisation of mines’.
Interestingly, there seemed to be no consideration of the National Planning Commission’s (NPC) recommendations. Established by the Presidency, the NPC consists of 26 of some of the country’s brightest minds, who after a substantial period of consultation with people working in different sectors of society, diagnosed the causes of South Africa’s key problems and identified practical solutions. A key part of the problem facing the ANC appears to be that its top figures have failed to rise above their personal ambition for senior leadership positions. Consequently, the dynamics of the policy conference are framed by the leadership contest taking place in the run-up to the ANC National Conference in December. Seemingly, the key factor driving the contesting factions is the access it provides individuals and factions to state resources. Policy issues then become a proxy for leadership contestation. It therefore often matters more who supports certain policy positions than what the contents of those policies are.
The ANC should consider a system where members compete for positions in a transparent manner guided by a clear set of rules. This would enable delegates to select leaders based on their performance in the party and in government. Further, a political system based on the recommendations of the Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Commission on Electoral Reform, named after the late opposition politician, could be considered. The commission recommended a system geared towards the direct election of political leaders, which could ensure that the leaders are more responsible to the electorate than to factions in the party.
A step towards addressing some of the challenges the ANC faces would be for the party to urgently consider the recommendations of the 2010 National General Council, reiterated in the Organisational Renewal Discussion document. These state that:
- It is critical for the party to have a resilient, courageous, principled and decisive leadership
- The rejuvenation of the ANC will require a committed and conscious cadre
- An active civil society and a mobilised population are essential for the renewal of the party
The practice of cadre deployment has continued to have negative ramifications for government service delivery, as recently argued by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). It is crucial that the ANC leadership leads the way in transforming the organisation into a modern political party that deploys people based on merit, skill and commitment to serving the country, rather than their allegiance to certain organisational factions.
The ruling party has to urgently grasp the fact that a robust civil society, a free media and independent judiciary are critical for an active and mobilised general population that can contribute to strengthening the country. It is therefore discouraging when leading ANC figures actively stifle crucial components of our democracy. Recently the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, made the absurd statement that there was a ‘war against the state’ because human rights organisations took the government to court for failing to provide adequate drinking water to poor communities. Nelson Mandela’s treason trial lawyer George Bizos warned on 17 July that our politicians do not accept the media’s role and rightly stated, ‘We cannot allow politicians to reduce us to praise singers.’ Instead of seeking to undermine the foundations of our democracy, the ruling party’s leadership has to actively engage all citizens of the country.
Bringing together the range of stakeholders in South Africa to solve the country’s challenges, such as those pertaining to the economy and to education, will provide a foundation that will drive the country into a new era in governance. In addition, such a path has the capability to ignite institutional transformation that will contribute to reviving the country’s sluggish economy. Indeed, all South Africans deserve the dignified and prosperous life aspired to in the constitution and the ANC leadership has a duty to facilitate this.
