Revolt sparked by lack of democracy in ANC

THE current mayhem engulfing the ANC candidate lists for local government elections mostly affecting the Tshwane, KwaZulu-Natal, North West and Eastern Cape regions warrants a serious rethink on the modalities of internal democracy in the ANC.

The violent protests witnessed in these areas are a symptom of the perennial internal organisational dynamics manifesting through the suppression of the independent voice of branches, factionalism, gatekeeping, patronage and patrimonial nature of the ANC post its Mafikeng Conference in 1997.

Most of the internal revolt in the ANC is triggered by suppression of democracy within its ranks.

It is my contention that the establishment of regional executive committees (RECs) is one of the root causes of the present factionalised ANC.

RECs came into existence through the epoch of the Mbeki presidency as a result of his ascendancy during the Mafikeng conference and these structures were ostensibly established in order to curtail the autonomy of the branches in respect of nomination and selection of leaders at the provincial and national level, and introduce the naïve practice of guided democracy experienced in most African countries.

That is the reason slates are rammed down the throats of branches ahead of an elective conference. A case in point is the allegations made by many branches in Eastern Cape and KZN, that some of the candidates were imposed on them by regional leaders.

It should be pointed out that in the pre-1997 Mafikeng Conference branches had the authority to nominate local government candidates, including mayors in their respective local jurisdictions with little involvement of the provincial executive committees.

It defies logic that branches nominate and elect national leadership at a duly convened national conference in accordance with the constitution of the ANC, however, this same right is not exercised pertaining to nomination and deployment of mayors.

Furthermore, branches are allowed to nominate councillors at a branch general meeting, however, the authority to nominate mayoral candidates is vested with the REC.

The inception of RECs usurped this authority of branches to freely and independently select leaders to serve in the statutory local government structures.

Branches are now beholden to regional barons who are able to dictate and impose their will and punish branch leaders and members who may hold a dissenting view to that held by a regional executive committee in relation to deployment of cadres and election of leaders at regional, provincial and national levels.

Suffice to say, most RECs have a say in the awarding of government tenders. The poor performance of many municipalities run by the ANC is, in part, attributed to the weakened authority of political office-bearers (mayors, municipal speakers and members of mayoral executive committees) who largely serve at the pleasure of these regional leaders.

The amendment of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act with a view to impose limitations on political rights and delink political office and statutory municipal posts sought to address the politicisation of municipal governance.

Branches must regain their independent life and be accorded space to debate and shape the political direction of the ANC and, more importantly, have the right to choose who should lead municipalities in the localities where they exist.

The next ANC elective conference in 2017 and the national general council should crucially debate and resolve to dissolve RECs, as they have evidently outlived their purpose.

It will require boldness of the party structures and assertiveness of individual branches to resolve this matter.

“Party branches are now beholden to regional barons