ANC infighting can backfire on Ramaphosa detractors – experts

Amid the ANC internal debate over the Cyril Ramaphosa administration’s failure to implement resolutions taken at the 54th national conference in 2017, political analysts have warned the entire ANC leadership should be held accountable.

In what analysts described as a veiled threat to government, party general secretary Ace Magashule in his keynote address at the recent KwaZulu-Natal ANC January 8 celebration rally cautioned: “Anyone who may wish to change these democratically arrived at (54th national conference) policy positions, will simply have to wait for our next conference to see if they can garner enough support to do so.”

The issues included the nationalisation of the SA Reserve Bank and the expropriation of land without compensation – all likely to resurface at the upcoming national general council to be held in four months.

Commenting on criticism of government’s failure to implement ANC resolutions, Nelson Mandela University political lecturer Ongama Mtimka said: “The objective of the factional rhetoric within the ANC about the failure is nothing but a proxy to deal with Ramaphosa.

“This move is questionable, given the fact that (former president) Jacob Zuma was never challenged after the Polokwane conference for failure to implement a resolution on ending the use of labour brokers.”

Political analyst Mcebisi Ndletyana, an associate professor at the University of Johannesburg’s Pan African Institute, said: “You cannot micro-manage the president or ANC deployees in government, because government has to deal with broader issues beyond the ANC. It is far-fetched that the current leadership could be toppled or faulted on account of not having implemented ANC resolutions.

“It is also mischievous to expect government to do as the ANC wishes. History has shown that ANC has not been entirely consistent in implementing its own conference resolutions.

“The ANC can be faulted on many things, except self-criticism and honesty about problems confronting the party. When they come up with credible solutions to problems, you will think it is not the same organisation that caused them.”

Ndletyana said the ANC had “a plethora of resolutions, thus far not implemented”, which went “as far back as the Polokwane conference”.

These, he said, included setting up a state bank, boosting the agricultural sector in rural areas to address food security and curbing the inflow of people from rural to urban areas.

Ndletyana said there had to be “a respect for the separation of powers” between the party and state.

“Government should be given space to govern and operate freely, with the president being allowed to be pragmatic, especially on issues affecting society.

“The ANC’s top six is part of the broad leadership. Being part of the leadership collective, means that no one can be blamed for failure to implement a resolution.”

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