‘Lack of planning in ANC’

WITH just a few days left before the ANC’s make-orbreak national conference, the governing party has conceded that a lack of planning, co-ordination and accountability is crippling its ability to achieve economic growth, address challenges in education and curb corruption.

In a confidential document prepared for delegates going to the crucial conference next month, the organisation also admits that slate politics and vote buying have resulted in the election of leaders who can’t drive ANC campaigns and garner respect from society.

In a frank assessment, it also notes that there has been a loss of trust by members in the organisation’s processes due to the conduct of leaders.

“We have not managed to address our weaknesses in achieving economic growth, overcoming education challenges, and in combating, prevention, investigation and prosecution of crime and corruption,” the report says.

“There are many critics of the ANC and of our leadership, and we are losing our influence among students, young intellectuals and the black middle class. The negative practices of slates and vote-buying have delivered leaders who have difficulty driving our programmes and getting respect from society and supporters,” it adds.

The report comes as the party enters into the last push to ensure that most of its branches qualify for the conference, scheduled to be held at Nasrec, south of Johannesburg from December 16 to 20.

Fierce battles between the supporters of presidential hopefuls Nkosazana DlaminiZuma and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa have forced the party to postpone the branch nomination deadlines twice.

Provinces would also from this weekend hold general council meetings to announce their preferred candidates.

Similar to the party’s conclusions at the national policy conference in June, the report to Nasrec also details a myriad problems threatening the existence of the ANC and its chances at the 2019 elections.

Using institutions to fight political battles among ANC leaders and violence and killings were also some of the challenges that plagued the organisation.

This comes as political killings in KwaZulu-Natal continued this week.

Gatekeeping, vote-buying and other challenges besieging the ANC caused the decline in electoral support in the 2016 elections, the report noted.

According to the report, loss of confidence by South Africans has appeared to be the party’s biggest headache.

Social distance, corruption, nepotism, arrogance, elitism, factionalism and abuse of state power have been identified as some of the major contributing factors to the decline.

In its policy proposal on organisational renewal going to the conference, the party wants the signing of membership to be automated in a bid to insulate it from manipulation by branch and regional executive committee members of the party.

The ANC is also calling for a reduction of the party’s national executive committee and that only 65% of its members serve in government.

On strategy and tactics, the party also proposes that its leadership be made more representative of all sections of South Africa to increase accountability and integrity.

“We must ensure leadership reflects people from religious and trade union movements, and other structures of civil society,” it says.

It also notes there has been a loss of trust in the party’s processes