The political dustbin awaits some ANC presidential candidates

The bad thing about the ANC presidential race is how it manages to take so many leaders out of our political system and throw them into the cold – and it’s about to happen again soon.

Since the unbanning of the ANC, I have seen so many leaders disappear from the public eye after being marginalised by the party’s electoral system, which is merciless to losers.

It’s almost guaranteed the loser will have no place in the party or in government. Take former president Thabo Mbeki. He was sidelined after he lost to Jacob Zuma in Polokwane in 2007.

Although he qualified to participate in party activities as an ex-officio member of the national executive committee (NEC), he took a back seat – and understandably so.

I would have done the same if I were him, considering how he was thrown out of the party and vilified by many leaders, some of whom today “hero-worship” him.

The likes of Zwelinzima Vavi and Julius Malema proved they were politically mature because they have apologised to him.

Instead of using Mbeki to perform tasks on behalf of the ANC and the country, as he does occasionally for the African Union, the ruling party ditched him completely.

It was because they felt he should have come to them instead of them going to him. That’s being petty. But some knew the man’s gift as a mediator couldn’t be taken away. That’s why some institutions and organisations still use his services.

Had the ANC leaders not been so petty, Mbeki could have been a vital catalyst in breaking the current ANC leadership impasse to avoid any break-up of the party after December.

He could also have facilitated efforts to end the initial long stand-off between the 101 ANC stalwarts and veterans and the NEC over holding a national consultative conference to resolve the ruction in the party.

He could have done the same in the ongoing tension between the MK Military Veterans Association and the MK National Council.

Kgalema Motlanthe was another leader who found himself in the political margins. As then caretaker president, Motlanthe was harassed by Zuma supporters who unnecessarily demanded he must move aside before he got too used to the seat.

Insults were hurled at him to the extent that the eight months in the Union Buildings became too long for the humble Motlanthe, who could not wait to hand over power.

Now let’s brace ourselves for a similar scenario after the upcoming ANC national conference and after 2019. The loser or losers in the presidential race will be relegated to political oblivion.

For instance, if either Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma or Cyril Ramaphosa do not go through in December, one of them and their followers are bound for the political dustbin.

Some of them will go to the back-benches of parliament, hence Dlamini-Zuma’s move to parliament before the elective conference might be a smart move.

As for Zuma, he is bound for Nkandla and/or Dubai to enjoy his billions with the Guptas and their cronies, if they aren’t in jail.

It would be wise for some of the ANC presidential candidates to start looking for new jobs or to prepare for the back seats of the National Assembly. But I am sure none of them are interested in that. Let the games begin.

Eric Naki.

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