Scandals, poor campaigning, and a gatvol populace behind ANC support declining

While treading carefully to avoid giving any clear response on how the weekend’s three-day national executive committee (NEC) meeting approached the Phala Phala saga, involving the stashing of millions on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s game farm, ANC bigwigs yesterday conceded the party’s electoral support had ebbed away ahead of the 2024 national polls.

Waning of support for the party

As party treasurer-general Paul Mashatile acknowledged a decline in electoral support, when addressing a post NEC media briefing at the Luthuli House ANC headquarters in Johannesburg, head of elections Fikile Mbalula blamed this on factors including rampant corruption and poor service delivery at local government level.

Mbalula said: “What led to the waning of support for the ANC could be attributed to objective and subjective factors. An objective factor is that we conducted the 2021 local government elections during the pandemic, with regulations, which disadvantaged the ANC in relation to the date of the polls.

“The period to campaign was too short. We had to decide where to campaign within a month, which disadvantaged the ANC as the biggest party.

“The economic problems that affected ordinary South Africans was another factor, with unstable electricity having impacted on effective campaigning.”

Also contributing to the dismal performance, which political analysts predict could be a continuing trend in 2024, Mbalula said poor service delivery at local government also worked against them.

“There are a litany of other subjective factors that led to the decline of support, with the Motlanthe commission still dealing with processes in various areas of the country on candidates chosen and people’s discontent.

Voter turnout

“Some people decided they were not going to vote, with the low voter turnout having affected us a lot. People of Soweto did not come out in large numbers and Johannesburg went to the opposition. Corruption also led to the battered image of the party,” said Mbalula.

With coalitions at local government proving to be shaky, Mbalula said the ANC had “a framework” as a guide.

“Our coalitions are informed by key principles and clear objectives. We only consider coalitions where the ANC has had a major stake in a municipality.

“But exceptions are allowed after consultation, because we don’t do smash and grab, which other parties do – a person with one seat wanting to be the leader of a municipality,” he added.

Phala Phala saga

On Phala Phala, Mashatile said: “The integrity committee did indicate on Friday it had a report to table, but it had nothing to do with Phala Phala.”

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa dodges a bullet at heated ANC NEC meeting

‘Weakest NEC’

Responding to what she last week meant by “the weakest NEC”, ANC head of organising and campaigns Nomvula Mokonyane said: “It is not only me who says the current NEC is the weakest, but a matter coming from our own reflections – something also shared by the president over the weekend in an acknowledgement that we have gone through serious challenges as a party.

“We came out of a highly-contested conference in Nasrec, where there were groups. The outcome brought two groups together, but it was not easy to work together. We now have 4 200 branches. What we need is a leadership to serve these branches.”

Party constitutional head Ronald Lamola said the ANC planned to strengthen its secretariat by amending the constitution to allow for a secretary-general, supported by two deputies.

READ MORE: Phala Phala scandal and preparations for ANC conference expected to dominate this weekend’s NEC meeting

– brians@citizen.co.za