ANC must speak with one voice

I THOUGHT the ANC would fare well in the Gauteng metros in the recent elections.

My impression was informed by its liberation struggle and its service delivery record. I was wrong.

The emergence of the EFF could not be ignored and studies released by Statistics SA painted a bleak future for the youth. That is what the EFF and the DA capitalised on.

But I would like to share my disappointment with the way the ruling party handled its communication machinery during the elections campaign.

Organisations and governments worldwide invest in their communication to keep in touch with customers.

Communication strategists will tell the organisation has to speak with one voice.

We are communicating in a noisy environment and too many voices risk confusing the target audience.

Employees and members of the organisation are therefore expected to comply with the communication policy of the organisation.

For example, the Department of Basic Education has a communication policy that says only a designated spokesperson is allowed to talk to the media so that information is managed and controlled.

Soon after the Concourt ruling that said President Jacob Zuma had failed to uphold the constitution, senior ANC members deviated from the policy.

Some started calling for Zuma to resign and the role of Zizi Kodwa, the ANC spokesman, was undermined.

It became obvious that the party was at war with itself.

Later, when the campaign went into high gear, the same people who were calling for Zuma to step down were calling for the people to vote ANC.

The DA and the EFF portrayed the ANC as corrupt. And they maintained their position.

The ANC found itself on the defending side.

Instead of crafting its message and running with it despite what the EFF and DA were saying, it spent its time bashing the opposition.

Referring to the DA as a white party, Zuma thought he was discouraging black voters, but the EFF was quick to point out the ANC agreed to a government of national unity and gave the deputy presidency to a white person.

When the opposition named a number of white people the ANC worked with in harmony, the party was left with egg on its face.

Where does that leave thinking voters?

The undisciplined senior ANC members contributed to the voters’ distrust of what the party was saying. Their reliance on its struggle history did not do much for it.

The people have heard about that in the past and are now expecting action and the promised better life; the communication should have revolved around that.

In future, the ANC comrades must learn to respect Kodwa’s role and speak only through him. Failure to do that will confuse voters and the municipal elections have shown what confused voters do.

The role of ruling party spokesman Zizi Kodwa was undermined

Acting head of communication in the Department of Safety, Security and Liaison in Limpopo, writing in his personal capacity