‘We got it wrong’ – Radebe gives a stinging rebuke of a failed ANC

The ANC’s head of policy, Jeff Radebe, admitted on Friday that corruption by “careerists and opportunists”, factional fighting and poor service delivery had cost it not only votes, but the confidence of the public.

This was “a huge warning signal for the coming 2024 national elections”.

In his assessment of the ANC’s backward slide in both popularity and support in elections, Radebe gave a stinging rebuke of an organisation which has failed to make the transition from liberation to effective government.

ALSO READ: Timing of the ANC’s elective conference detrimental to service delivery with internal battles taking centre stage

People, he said, had lost confidence in the organisation as a “leader of society”.

In a media briefing before the release of its policy discussion documents – paving the way for the all-important December elective conference – Radebe highlighted party weaknesses, which included:

• Failure by deployed cadres to respect ANC values in serving the community – addressing their concerns in a manner subordinated to factional interests;
• Lack of planning, coordination, implementation and accountability, political will and leadership, leading to failure to implement policies and programmes;
• Declining service delivery and poor municipal financial management;
• Violent protests and assassinations, fuelled by rival factions; and
• Unacceptably high levels of inequality, unemployment and poverty.

He said: “From being a liberation movement to moving into the seats of power of government has come with many negative elements, ranging from gatekeeping, influence of money politics in elections [and] swelling of ranks by careerists and opportunists.

“This has put the interests of individuals ahead of the organisation and society, growing levels of malfeasance and corruption, poor service delivery, being distant, out of touch, inward-looking ANC, unable to be effective agents of change and connect with communities, decreasing levels of trust and credibility in the ANC.

“These factors and unsavoury elements resulted in the ANC losing support, including in the most recent November 2021 local government elections.”

With the ANC introducing a step-aside rule in dealing with rogue elements, some of whom face criminal charges, Radebe said the party would “continue to strengthen these measures”.

“We will continue to ensure the behaviour of members and leadership is ethical, unsavoury elements are removed from our ranks. The ANC is committed to the renewal, re-engineering and revitalisation of our movement, so that it can remain true to its principles and objectives.”

The ANC’s strategic approach to economic transformation was guided by the Freedom Charter: “The people shall share in the country’s wealth.”

“After several years of low growth, the ANC intends building on the economic reconstruction recovery plan, implementing new creative disruptive policy frameworks which will move the economy onto a higher, more inclusive growth path, designed to lift investment and employment creation decisively and in a sustained manner,” Radebe said.

“The frameworks must be underpinned by comprehensive social compact of government, business, labour and civil society.

ALSO READ: Unseating the ANC must come before comfort

“As the ANC, we are aware that – as a precondition – an ethical and capable state, with broad support, is essential for this programme to succeed.”

The ANC planned to focus on:

• Structural reform of network industries, which included electricity, telecoms, water, rail and road infrastructure;
• Strengthening industrial policy interventions;
• Macroeconomic stability;
• Closer coordination between government and social partners through a sustained and deepening process of social compacting; and
• Expanded trade with other African countries and the world. Radebe said the discussion policy documents would be taken to ANC organisational structures and branches from tomorrow.

“Thereafter, provinces will have an opportunity to discuss these matters in provincial general councils and other forums, to be convened from end-June to 23 July,” he said.