Cracks between ANC’s factions growing fast

A split would help save this once great movement,

The economic and political earthquake caused by the replacement of former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene, now followed by aftershocks within the ANC around the witch-hunt of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, has exposed a fault line within this once solid movement.

A huge faction within the party, mainly urban, is well educated and has connected to the main- stream economy and standards of modern democracies.

This faction is critical of leaders who do not seem to understand how the system works, and does not respect the old guards’ values for which many paid huge sacrifices.

The more rural and traditional faction is not that well educated and seems easily misled and blindly loyal to those leaders who are latching onto the economy like parasites, not adding real value and prepared to empty the state coffers for their own shortterm gain.

The widespread reaction to the latest move toward finalising state capture has exposed a fast-widening crack between the two factions. In a heated public debate, we heard statements from sides who were practically worlds apart.

But I believe the ANC still has a role to play in this country. The only alternative for the survival of this once proud party is a split and for the breakaway faction, true to the values of the founding fathers of the ANC, to build new majorities with patriotic and like-minded people.