Ramaphosa needs to work with team that he can trust

Now that the 55th ANC elective conference is over, the big question for the party is how to prepare for the 2024 general elections.

President Cyril Ramaphosa needs to have a team which can help him secure another second term as head of state. Therefore, a Cabinet reshuffle is a key step to achieve this goal.

After failing to be in the top seven, it will be wise for former ANC deputy president David Mabuza to bid farewell to his government job and make way for the new ANC deputy president, Paul Mashatile.

Since Ramaphosa needs to work with a team that he can trust, he needs to relieve Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of their ministerial duties.

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Former Gauteng premier David Makhura can be appointed to the Cabinet as the new face and ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe might be prepared for parliament.

When it comes to Zweli Mkhize, the almost president of the ANC, he might be saved from Ramaphosa’s wrath by being included in Cabinet as an attempt to forge ANC unity.

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But with Ramaphosa being the biggest winner at the conference, the ANC might find challenges in the 2024 elections if the party doesn’t renew itself. The party may end up leading a fractured coalition government, or assume the role of an opposition party.

As long as ANC leaders continue to shy away from accountability, they will not win over voters. For if they continue to believe that they are above the law, they will continue to be out of touch with the realities faced by ordinary people.

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With the elevation of women in the top seven structure, maybe changes are at the door. This shows that the ANC is taking the call for women empowerment in its ranks seriously. For their inclusion is a sign that the liberation of women is near.

And with vibrant characters in the secretariat office like newly elected secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane, the ANC might be revived.

But for that to translate to victory in 2024 elections, the party must forge unity. They must sell a united front to South Africans and deal with their squabbles internally. This will ensure the party ceases to destabilise itself from within.

With the decreasing ANC membership, the party now ought to vigorously mobilise society and attract the right calibre of members. Since ANC structures are in a mess, the party will have to rebuild its women and youth leagues towards functionality. This will ensure a more coordinated party.

The new leadership must also restore confidence in the party by ensuring that Ramaphosa accounts about his Phala Phala farm debacle, because his opponents will continue to take advantage of this.

The ANC national executive committee should now focus on discussions that focus on the challenges facing the country, such as load shedding and unemployment, instead of their personal political differences.

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The party must also revive its independence of thought and radicalism by ensuring compulsory political education for its members. For a conference where a leadership contest is the main focus – and the policy direction of the ANC is neglected – must be a practice that ceases to exist with the 55th conference.

-Mthembu is News24’s Young Mandela 2022 winner in the leadership category