The ANC’s leadership fears unpredictable ballots and wayward cadres, proposing tighter control over internal elections.
Given that the ANC is – and has been for most of its history – riven by factionalism, it’s not surprising that the party’s hierarchy appear to want to get more control over possible wayward cadres, especially at internal election time.
A discussion document prepared for the mid-term national general council in December suggests the party should revert to its old methodology of selecting its leaders – via “consensus”, rather than by votes.
Under that system, the people nominated for higher office would be carefully chosen and the unsuitable winnowed out before their names were submitted to the elite.
Those top people would then, between themselves, agree on who should go and who should stay.
The system dates back to the days of the struggle, when the organisation was dominated by Soviet ideology… and, let’s face it, whoever heard of Joseph Stalin choosing his party leaders by free ballot?
The world has changed dramatically since then and the move towards democratic principles has seen a loss of control by the top leadership and unpredictability in the ballots for party posts.
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Jacob Zuma knows that all too well, having been ousted by a tranche of votes brought into play by the late Mpumalanga premier, David Mabuza, in 2017.
Mabuza’s voting bloc followed his orders but there have been cases when comrades have not followed the Luthuli House script and “unwanted” or “undesirable” cadres managed to get into positions of power.
Tightening up on election processes may not be democratic – but then, the ANC only pays lip service to a democratic ethos most of the time.
However, it may also be counter-productive, because it will become more apparent to the rank and file in the party that it is a dictatorship of the elite.
And, in whatever form it takes, there will be a rebellion.
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