ANC comeback plan
Party drawing up strategy to increase support in Bay
IN its battle for what it admits is dwindling support in Nelson Mandela Bay, the ANC has recommended a radical turnaround strategy, including withdrawing advertising from newspapers critical of the party and embarking on an aggressive member recruitment drive.
This is in preparation for next year’s local government elections and beyond, according to two confidential documents titled “Proposed Regional Turnaround Strategy” and “Nelson Mandela Regional Turnaround Strategy Workshop Report”.
ANC Eastern Cape provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said the party had called on the Bay’s regional executive committee (REC) to draft proposals and recommendations on how the party could improve its fortunes in the area, but these would still be subject to internal party processes and were not official policy.
The Herald – which is named as one of the publications from which advertising should be withheld – has seen the documents in question.
According to the reports, the ANC has identified Uitenhage and Despatch as centres where challenges need to be addressed urgently.
The party also details how it plans to recapture the Bay’s northern areas and western suburbs, which are both DA strongholds.
The reports say that to do this, the ANC will withhold advertising from “propagandist” newspapers, task members with recruiting 10 people a month, and launch an apologetic “We Are Sorry” campaign to recapture votes, among other resolutions.
“[The metro] must consciously cease all its business with the local newspapers that feed the propagandist negative publicity about the [party],” the documents say.
“The ANC, with the municipality, must actively assist pro-ANC local newspapers . . . and use alternative newspapers to replace advertising in publications such as The Herald.
“The REC, with the sectors, needs to develop a programme to engage with communities where the ANC will . . . apologise for having erred to make amends for having neglected such communities. [The party will embark] on a ‘We Are Sorry’ campaign’.”
Also on its to-do list are plans to lobby the provincial government to deal with political hot potatoes such as the northern areas’ chronic teacher shortage, pupil transport woes, under-resourced township schools and non-payment of nurses.
The party admits candidly to dwindling membership numbers, widespread apathy and the metro’s service delivery troubles.
It also cites years of bruising infighting as one of the causes of its stagnation in the Bay – which was once an ANC stronghold – with it not having a presence in opposition-led wards, a situation it is intent on changing by setting up formal structures.
Some of the issues identified as hindrances to the ANC’s prospects in the Bay are:
Lack of comprehensive campaigns; Lack of unity and cohesion within leadership structures and membership;
Declining membership; Dysfunctional subcommittees;
Lack of cohesion and interaction between the ANC and sector;
Inability of the party to claim and communicate its achievements and victories;
Lack of strategy to make inroads and reclaim the western suburbs and northern areas;
Inability to establish ANC centres in opposition wards to service members;
Lack of a clear communication strategy; Strained alliance relations because of Cosatu’s non-participation in regional programmes;
Inability to identify and respond to service delivery challenges; and
Lack of a response strategy to protests. In response to the recommendation that the metro withdraw advertising in what the REC termed “propagandist” newspapers, Mabuyane said: “There is no way we cannot work with the print media, but The Herald must introspect on why it has been identified as a paper that blackmails and stigmatises the ANC.”
He said the work the party had done was not properly projected in the media.
“There is no way that [boycotting newspapers] would be put that blatantly,” he said.
Mabuyane said membership numbers were not an indicator of support, adding that the ANC had one million members but more than 10 million people voted for the party.
“We are, of course, worried about shrinking numbers at branch level,” he said.
“Also, I have to point out that what you are referring to are REC proposals – they are not ANC strategy because the party is not limited to a region.
“The documents you are referring to still need to be discussed and synthesised at provincial and national level.
“As the ANC we want to continue our dominance and are worried about Nelson Mandela Bay because it is a special case.”
Cosatu Port Elizabeth secretary Andile Bloko said the union federation’s non-cooperation with its alliance partner was an open secret.
“This has been ongoing for some time. Cosatu has been clear on this issue – we will not support a corrupt administration.
“Residents in the metro have had enough of the municipality being used as a milking cow for personal gain,” Bloko said.