The late former finance minister Tito Mboweni often mused that the only way the ANC could be “renewed” was through a complete loss of power and a respite in the opposition benches.
His argument was that the party would have no impetus for genuine internal reform as long as it held onto the levers of power — outside it, the “rats” would flee the ship, and under the stewardship of new leadership, possibly including a clergyman, it would be able to restore itself.
Mboweni’s musings are proving to be spot on.
Despite a near 20 percentage point drop in support, the ANC still does not get it — its position as a leader of society has been fundamentally eroded and its attempts to turn this around since it began its serious decline in electoral support in 2016 have been flimsy and meaningless.
Almost a decade after the 2016 local election, it has banged the renewal drum. It elected President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2017 on an unequivocal reform ticket. Again, last year during the decisive 2024 general election campaign, renewal was a main pillar of its campaign. But its attempts keep falling flat — the trappings of power remain a priority for the vast majority of its leaders. As a result, every move the party makes is steeped in self-interest, rather than public interest and propelling the powerful over humility and service.
Renewal remains an unattainable slogan.
Nothing signalled this more strongly than the ANC disciplinary clearing the likes of Malusi Gigaba, David Mahlobo, Cedric Frolick and Zizi Kodwa of misconduct charges, due to severe administrative failures in the process by Luthuli House itself.
Amid fanfare in January, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula announced that the senior leaders would face disciplinary charges after allegations against them emanating from the state capture commission of inquiry, chaired by former chief justice Raymond Zondo.
Kodwa faced the disciplinary committee over allegations contained in the Zondo report, however, charges linked to the allegations were withdrawn by the National Prosecuting Authority in November last year.
Gigaba has not faced any form of sanction for the damning evidence against him revealed in the state capture commission report. He was revealed as one of the key runners in the capture of the state by former president Jacob Zuma’s friends, the Gupta family — his wife had testified to him bringing home bags of cash from the controversial family.
Still Gigaba, Mahlobo and Frolick were cleared of all charges and chair of the ANC disciplinary committee Ralph Mgijima has laid the blame for this at the door of the party’s top leadership, Mbalula and the party’s national executive committee (NEC).
The merits of the cases against the implicated leaders were not tested at all, rather they were cleared on a technicality. Mbalula had not adhered to the process in terms of the timing of the charges and the matter was not properly processed by the NEC.
Whether it is incompetence or a lack of will, the ANC’s consistent failure at holding its leaders to account has had a profound impact on SA at all levels of the state and society.
On Sunday, KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi raised allegations of interference in the work of the police and said ANC police minister and presidential hopeful Senzo Mchunu was allegedly protecting corrupt businessmen and crime syndicates.
Given its lackadaisical approach to accountability, the ANC or its leader, Ramaphosa, are unlikely to act on the allegations made by one of the country’s most senior career policemen.
Mchunu is seen as a Ramaphosa ally.
The president has been unwilling to act against corruption accused ANC housing minister Thembisile Simelane and higher education minister Nobuhle Nkabane, who was broadcast live as she blatantly lied to parliament. Ramaphosa, instead, asked Nkabane for a “report” and shifted Simelane sidewards in a cabinet reshuffle from the justice portfolio to housing.
Ramaphosa doing anything in the face of Mkhwanazi’s damning allegations would be hugely out of character.
Then again, he may ask for a “report” and then sit on it until his term ends.
What is becoming clear is that the only way to force accountability on the ANC is to strip it of power — a reality the electorate has caught onto and is on the road to doing just that.
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