ANC ‘renewal’ strategy ready
PARTY PLANS TO FACE CHALLENGES
THE ANC is still struggling to address the challenges that have turned the electorate against it.
This is contained in the party’s Organisational Renewal and Organisational Design discussion document which will be discussed at the policy conference in June in Johannesburg.
The ANC’s discussion documents will be publicly launched on Sunday. In the document, the ANC exposes factionalism and ill-discipline within its ranks.
“Internal strife revolving around contestation for power and state resources in the ANC has shifted the focus of cadres and members of the movement away from societal concerns and people’s aspirations,” the report states.
“These circumstances have produced a new type of ANC leader and member who sees ill-discipline, divisions, factionalism and in-fighting as normal practices and necessary forms of political survival.
“Drastic measures and consistent action against these negative tendencies are necessary to root out anarchy and decay,” the report further reveals.
As the ANC succession debate plays itself out like a blockbuster movie behind closed doors, the party said there was a need for formalisation and transparent processes in managing lobby groups’ activities.
“The extent to which lobbying has been tolerated in the ANC has only been through conference sessions. What has been proven to be a challenge is the lobbying process engineered by clandestine factionalism which destabilises the organisation.
“Factionalism has become an integral part of organisational culture. Its clandestine nature makes it a parallel activity that is beyond reproach”.
The discussion document, however, proposes recreating structures and systems to give a new voice to marginalised people.
The party’s frank admission comes in the face of perceived growing influence of the “Premier League” that has positioned itself to decide on who should succeed President Jacob Zuma as the next leader of the ANC. The controversial league is said to be led by the premiers of North West, Mpumalanga and Free State.
The ANC also dismissed the narrative by its opponents and commentators that its support was dwindling. The organisation, however, admitted that there was an emerging threat to its influence and appealed to young intellectuals and the black middle class.
“A weak ANC and weak state are twin dangers that must be confronted if South Africa is to realise its full potential. The immediate objective of our opponents is to weaken both the ANC and national democratic state in order to stop or slow down transformation.
“We must investigate the ambivalence of young people towards their recent reported apathy and distance,” the documents adds.
The EFF appears to be eating into ANC’s support base.
The ANC lost the powerful metros of Johannesburg, Tshwane and Port Elizabeth during last year’s local government elections.