Working committee puts ANC leadership on spot
THE ANC’s national working committee (NWC) has warned the party’s 86-member top leadership that being in denial will only accelerate the party’s decline and lead to its losing power.
The NWC has also asked whether there is “room to revisit” the e-tolls issue in Gauteng as it assesses why it is losing the support of young people and the middle class in Gauteng, the key metros, and urban areas.
In a frank report, intended to guide discussions at the meeting of the national executive committee ( NEC) and presented by secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, the NWC raised concerns about the huge decreases in support recorded since the 2011 local government elections.
In North West, the party’s share of the vote has shrunk by 14.98 percent since 2011.
In Gauteng, its share of voters’ support has fallen 13.28 percent.
“We must all be reminded that all liberation movements start losing power in the urban areas after 20 years,” the report says.
“This has been in the context of rapid urbanisation. Is the declining support an indication of an ANC in consistent decline, and shockingly sharply so since 2011?”
The NEC is holding a fourday meeting in Tshwane to assess its performance in the elections.
The party lost Nelson Mandela Bay and Tshwane, and needs coalitions to secure a majority in Ekurhuleni, Joburg, Rustenburg and more than 20 other hung councils.
It is understood that one of the flags raised was the loss of support among the young and the middle class.
The scandals that have come to characterise stateowned enterprises, such as the SABC and SAA, are said to be affecting the ANC’s standing.
The NWC criticised the party’s election campaign, highlighting such issues as inconsistent messages.
“The campaign of the main opposition pitched early… drifted into the national issues which impacted negatively on the ANC, and became less focused on local government matters,” the report said.
There are divisions about who should shoulder the blame for the party’s poor performance in the polls.
The divisions have led to some alliance partners and ANC structures coming out in support of President Jacob Zuma to try to allay attempts to blame his actions for the election results.
Others, such as the SACP, an alliance partner, have come out in defence of the Gauteng ANC leadership, which faces scrutiny for its role in the huge loss of support in the province.
While remaining critical of how the party was declining, the NWC said “the negative narrative about the president is not only about the person, but is a concerted drive to dent the image of the opponent as part of the regime change agenda”.