ANC leadership succession debate on cards
THE ANC leadership will this weekend deliberate on the feedback from its structures about how to “self-correct” and arrest the decline in its support.
This follows countrywide consultations with its supporters after the party’s poor performance in the local government elections.
The party’s top brass is meeting at a national executive committee (NEC) meeting in Pretoria.
Party spokesperson Zizi Kodwa yesterday reiterated earlier comments by ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe that the suggestion of an early conference by some of its structures had been rejected.
“That issue was there, but it was overwhelmingly rejected by branches. There are many suggestions about things that must be done.
“Remember that there were other issues identified that the election results were attributed to,” said Kodwa.
He said factionalism, including in the NEC itself, was identified as a key area by the branches, along with gatekeeping and corruption.
The NEC is expected to receive a report dealing specifically with the feedback from the party’s branches following the consultations.
The party will also deal with the state of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), many of which have made headlines for the wrong reasons.
SAA, Eskom and the SABC will get particular attention, with Kodwa saying SOEs that were not performing were casting a bad image on the ANC.
“A voter that sees instability at an SOE sees an ANC that is unable to govern,” said Kodwa.
The local government elections have put the ANC under pressure to “self-correct” after it suffered major losses, including the loss of three key metros in Nelson Mandela Bay, Joburg and Tshwane.
The party decided to take “collective responsibility” for the poll results, but there have been calls within and from outside the organisation for its leadership, in particular President Jacob Zuma, to shoulder the blame.
These calls have effectively opened the party’s succession debate. The ANC is expected to announce the outcomes of its meeting next week.