Lessons for the ANC at 113
With South Africans' fascination with political parties filling up massive stadiums, a small 2 000-seater in Khayelitsha to mark the 113th birthday of the ANC may have said more about the party and where it finds itself following a bruising 2024 election than it intended.
ANC leaders did their best to put a positive spin on why Mandela Park was chosen, one of the smallest venues in three decades, with ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula punting it as the party getting back to its grassroots. In the same breath, he indicated the party was facing financial difficulties.
As leaders traversed parts of Cape Town during the week ahead of Saturday's address, optics did not always play ball in the party's favour, reflecting just how wounded it was in its fall from the electorate's grace.
What it did not need, as it does its best to find favour again, was a Khayelitsha resident screaming, "You must all go", as he got into a scuffle with an ANC delegation led by deputy party president Paul Mashatile when he arrived home to find them inside speaking to his mother.
The ANC is probably hoping that this isn't a widely held sentiment. If it is, the party might not even be able to fill up a small stadium. Even its Mpumalanga branch has decided not to pitch to the event because the venue might be too "small".
In this week's Friday Briefing, we reflect on whether this year's January 8 statement will reveal whether the ANC has finally taken note of the electorate's anger over its behaviour following the punishment it received at the polls last year.
News24's parliamentary reporter, Jan Gerber, suggests that this January 8 statement and event may be an opportunity to signal a real move towards renewal but is sceptical whether it will, given the ANC's hubris and expediency.
Independent political researcher and analyst Ebrahim Fakir offers a trenchant but constructive critique of the ANC at 113, arguing that the ANC finds itself in a mess of its own making. He says the party's major hurdle now is to advance its historical legacy amid current realities and future aspirations by proposing internal ANC organisational reforms and a return to the Reconstruction and Development Programme as a policy instrument for public governance and development.
We also have a Q&A with the ANC's chief whip, Mdumiseni Ntuli, who was the party's head of elections last year. He is quite open about the ANC being in its worst state in its 113-year history but explains why he isn't pessimistic about what has happened.
To end off this week's edition, we bring you some laughs with My F*k Mzanzi, which puts a satirical spin on this week's news developments.
We hope you enjoy the read as you settle into the new year.
Best,
Vanessa Banton
Opinions editor.
ANC's crucial test: Can renewal triumph over hubris and expediency?
In the aftermath of a crushing electoral outcome, this year's January 8 statement presents the ANC with an opportunity to renew. Will it make the most of that opportunity? Parliamentary reporter Jan Gerber has his doubts about whether it can overcome expediency and hubris.
ANC at 113: Regret, recovery and renewal or recidivism and requiem?
The ANC speaks of "renewal" while doggedly clinging to structures and practices that have long outlived their utility. The January 8 statement risks remaining a verbose masterpiece of ambiguity and obfuscation offering more "frameworks" and "proposals" than actual solutions, writes Ebrahim Fakir.
Q&A with ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli: 'Definitely, there is something to celebrate'
The ANC's chief whip in Parliament, Mdumiseni Ntuli, and its head of elections last year, reflects on the state of the party ahead of its 113th birthday celebration on Saturday. In an interview with in-depth writer Muhammad Hussain, Ntuli explains why he feels the quality of the party's membership needs to be prioritised over quantity.
My F*k Mzansi: The Mashatile Menace; South Korea twinning Zuma; and not Fact-Book
We're back after the festive holidays with more satirical hot takes on some of the news making headlines in this country and abroad. This week we catch up on some Dezemba skinner, see why the Mashatile entourage is a menace and find a South Korean giving Zuma vibes.
