Daily Dispatch
ANC succession battle on cards
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma delivered what is expected to be his last ANC January 8 statement at Orlando Stadium in Soweto yesterday.
January 8 marks the birthday of the 105-yearold former liberation movement.
This year is crucial for the ANC as the governing party will hold a national elective conference, in December, to elect Zuma’s successor.
While in previous years, since Nelson Mandela’s time, the process of choosing a successor in the ANC has been clear cut with the deputy president stepping up to the leadership position – it no longer is.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa faces a challenge from the spirited campaign of outgoing African Union Commission chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, whose supporters want her to be the ANC’s first female president.
As it happened in Polokwane in 2007 – where Zuma contested and defeated then president Thabo Mbeki – another fractious leadership battle is in the offing.
Ironically, the ANC’s 105-year celebrations were held under the theme: “Unity in Action” and Zuma spent time, during his speech yesterday, preaching unity.
“Today, our movement faces serious challenges to its unity. Divisive tendencies such as factionalism, gate-keeping and manipulation of internal processes exist at all levels of the ANC, the ANC Leagues, the Alliance and the Mass Democratic Movement.
“These tendencies inhibit our ability to give decisive leadership to society.
“The people have told us that we are too busy fighting each other and we do not pay sufficient attention to their needs.
“Our own research and interactions with members of the ANC demonstrate clearly that the people abhor the apparent preoccupation with personal gain.
“People are clear: their main priorities are jobs, fighting crime and corruption.
“Our task is therefore to grow the economy, create jobs and rigorously fight crime and corruption,” Zuma said.
Just a day before Zuma made his comments, the ANC Women’s League publicly endorsed Dlamini-Zuma as their presidential candidate.
On the same day as this announcement, Ramaphosa delivered what could be regarded as his strongest political speech in recent times.
Speaking at a rally to honour late former SA Communist Party general secretary Joe Slovo, Ramaphosa laid into self-seeking leaders.
“Leaders must not serve their own interests. They must not advance their interests and the interests of their friends and families,” Ramaphosa said.
He further reiterated the call for lifestyle audits “right at the … top of the leadership”.
It is clear who Ramaphosa had in mind when he made those comments.
The die has been cast and a bruising succession battle has begun in earnest.
Unfortunately, ANC politics affect almost all South Africans as the party is in charge of the central government and eight of the nine provinces.
Service delivery will once again take the backseat as the jostling for positions and posturing by ambitious politicians takes centre stage.
Brace yourselves for another tumultuous year of ANC factional battles.