Where’s the ANC’s will?

THE ANC is in a state of flux. Evidence of this emerged over the past three days at its national general council (NGC) when senior leaders in the party struggled to contain the fallout over the reported drop in membership announced by President Jacob Zuma when he delivered his political report.

Zuma stunned the 3 700 delegates with the news that the ANC had lost more than 400 000 members. Later efforts to spin the numbers by other members of the party’s top six only made matters worse. Instead of clarifying the figures, the explanation proffered only served to underline that its top brass weren’t on the same page on very basic issues. All of which points to an organisation that is already in the throes of a succession battle despite its public efforts to keep a lid on the presidential race.

But, while leadership contest is inevitable and also desirable, the ANC shouldn’t allow its search for new leaders to derail its responsibilities to perform its job as the governing party. As the democratic choice of more than 60 percent of the electorate, it has been given a mandate to govern, and it must do so with prudence, efficiency and focus. It must make good on dealing with an economy that continues to shed jobs, an education system that is yet to prepare our youth for the harsh realities of the world of work, and an energy supply system that is far from secure.

At the NGC, nine commissions deliberated and reviewed key policy positions on land, the economy, education, communications, healthcare, social transformation, and peace and stability, among others. Many good decisions were taken at the threeday indaba.

However, questions remain over the capacity of the state to implement. The ANC has the power and ability to self-correct. But does it have the will?

The NGC provided much-needed time for reflection and an opportunity to recalibrate key policies in time for the party’s policy conference in 2017. In the meantime, the ANC should stick to its own targets on the economy and job creation, implement decisions around cleaning itself up, choose mayoral candidates with care and ensure the process is transparent, and pick candidates who will put the interests of voters and the people first.