A tough job ahead for new ANC provincial leadership
THE forthcoming ANC elective provincial conference in the Eastern Cape, scheduled to take place in July, will, among other things, elect leaders that will hopefully take the province to new heights.
The new leadership will have to grapple with both the subjective and objective weaknesses of the ANC at a local, regional, provincial and national level.
One of the greatest challenges facing the ANC, not just in the Eastern Cape but nationally, is the gradual erosion of its electoral support base since 2009 and significant inroads that opposition parties are making into its traditional strongholds.
The loss of the Nelson Mandela Bay metro during last year’s local government elections to a coalition of opposition parties is a clear confirmation of the downward swing.
Nelson Mandela should be turning, spinning and kicking in his grave.
This monumental blunder will forever remain a black spot on the shoulders of the current leadership collective.
This discontent became apparent before the local government elections when the ANC-aligned South African Student Congress (Sasco) lost SRC elections to the DA-aligned Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (Daso) at the University of Fort Hare in 2014.
The students who voted for Daso were giving the ANC some warning shots, clearly demonstrating what would happen in future.
Indeed something unimaginable happened in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro during last year’s local government elections.
The ANC in the province is divided, fractured and factionalised at all levels.
These divisions are so deep that alien political practices and constructs are rearing their ugly heads.
In some regions there is talk about the perceived hegemony or dominance of AbaThembu both in the ANC and provincial government structures.
If true, this would prove to be yet another narrow, tribalistic and reactionary setback for the ANC in the province.
The perceived dominance of AbaThembu sarcastically refers to those in the ANC and the government who originate from the Transkei.
I must confess, when I first heard of this political construct, I was shocked and annoyed.
To me, this kind of tribalism was unheard of when I was growing up in the Eastern Cape.
Maybe my shock had to do with the fact that I, too, am a Thembu.
I am reluctantly making reference to this AbaThembu political construct just to show how polarised the province is and how deep these divisions run.
The deconstruction of these political and tribal constructs, real or imagined, is one immediate political task that the new leadership must execute urgently.
Tribalism and regionalism should have no place in the ANC and provincial government. The provincial government and local governments are not doing well either.
The mayhem that is prevalent in municipalities like Mnquma is something that anyone in his or her good senses should not be proud of.
The jobs for sex scandal tarnished the image of the provincial and local government structures.
There has not been a satisfying response from the administration on how this matter has been dealt with, and many vulnerable young women have been victims and they came crying for help.
The delivery of basic services to the people in general, particularly the rural poor, has also not been impressive.
The ANC-led government in the province has not been able over years to craft a radical socio-economic plan that would deliver the citizens of the Eastern Cape out of poverty, unemployment and destitution.
The education system continues to be in shambles, unemployment is abnormally high and the hardest hit are the rural poor who are without basic social and economic infrastructure.
The majority of the people across the province depend on social grants to live.
What is clear is that the province is in desperate need of a dynamic leadership that would grasp and comprehend these social-economic and political challenges.
Therefore the leadership debate should not focus on individual leaders, but on a leadership collective that will comprehend and confront all these challenges.
We ought painstakingly to ask this question: is the current leadership collective suitable to tackle these challenges?
If the answer is yes, another question will then follow as to what it is that they will do differently that they could not do over the last 10 years?
Truth be told, the political and administrative mayhem that has gripped the province for too long now needs a dynamic leadership that would craft a clinical and surgical interventions for implementation.
The call from some quarters therefore for the leadership status quo to remain is at best misplaced and mischievous.
If it was to hold, it will amount to the perpetuation of current factionalism, regression and poor leadership.
Let us now deal with the big elephants in the room: Phumulo Masualle in his capacity as the chairperson of the ANC and Oscar Mabuyane the secretary.
Should Masualle be nailed to the cross for all the challenges facing the ANC and provincial government? My answer to this question is a big no. Nail the entire leadership collective if nailing to the cross is the preferred option.
Some powerful regions in the province are already pushing for Mabuyane to take over from Masualle and become the chairperson of the ANC in the province.
They say he has enough gravitas and political pedigree to ascend to the political throne.
If Mabuyane was to take over from Masualle, the question then becomes what happens to Masualle?
Herein lies a very serious dilemma for the ANC strategies and lobbyists alike.
Masualle is finishing his second term as the chairperson of the ANC and is in the middle of his first term as the premier.
As for the ANC, my view is that the ANC does not owe anyone permanent deployment and election.
The notion that once you were the provincial chairperson you should automatically be elected into the national executive committee (NEC) after your term is dangerous.
It does not consider your track record, your ability to be in national politics and the contextual considerations at NEC level.
In resolving this dilemma the unity of the ANC should reign supreme and the popular slogan, “the best among us must lead!”, should be a rallying point.
In this context, the false notion of the two centres of power becomes totally irrelevant, especially if the rank and file has fully comprehended and digested the real meaning of this popular slogan.
The ANC at all levels should guard against the culture of personality cult, creation of traditional political leaders and dynasties in the name of continuity.