ANC doomed if they do, or don’t
THE decline in support in the August 3 local government elections has many within the ANC in a panic.
Three positions have emerged: a demand for President Jacob Zuma to step down, a call for an early elective conference and a proposal for a consultative conference.
Each of the three positions represent what those making the calls think is the ailment from which the ruling party needs to be cured.
This is due to the failure of the national executive committee (NEC) to reflect honestly about the root causes of the crisis within the ANC and the loss at the polls. Let’s deal with each proposal in turn.
which is a group of ANC Youth League members, caused a stir on Monday when they attempted to march on Luthuli House, the ANC headquarters in Johannesburg.
They had announced on the Friday before that they would stage a sit-in at Luthuli House to demand, among other things, the resignation of Zuma and all NEC members.
In their view, Zuma and the NEC represent all that is wrong with the ANC. If they go, the ANC would have a better chance of renewing itself and of being restored to its former glory.
They propose that a council of stalwarts would take over the reins at the point where Zuma and the NEC depart and that, under the stewardship of the elders, the party could hold a credible elective conference.
#OccupyLuthuliHouse has clearly misread the situation. What makes them think that Zuma and the NEC would see their demand more favourably than those who have made the call before them, including stalwarts such as Ahmed Kathrada?
This ongoing call for Zuma to be recalled is based on the erroneous belief that Thabo Mbeki’s recall was a matter of principle rather than a matter of expedience. That is a fallacy. No amount of principle will precipitate Zuma’s recall.
This leads into the second proposal – The ANCYL was the first to call for an early conference. In their view, it is important to expedite the