As the ANC prepares to host its 55th national conference, political analysts have questioned whether the party will still implement its controversial radical economic transformation (RET) policy. The conference was adjourned until today after it failed to complete critical tasks, including the adoption of the report, due to several delays and minimal protests at Nasrec two weeks ago. Analyst weighing in Political analyst Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast said the key question will be if the ANC will use the RET policy as a political program after it was adopted at the previous conference in 2017. He …
As the ANC prepares to host its 55th national conference, political analysts have questioned whether the party will still implement its controversial radical economic transformation (RET) policy.
The conference was adjourned until today after it failed to complete critical tasks, including the adoption of the report, due to several delays and minimal protests at Nasrec two weeks ago.
Analysts weigh in
Political analyst Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast said the main question is whether the ANC will implement the RET policy as a political program after it was adopted at the previous conference in 2017.
He also asked what would happen to the SA Reserve Bank’s nationalization policy and land reform policy.
“Will all this still be ANC policy, or will it disappear?” he asked. “The Ramaphosa faction never wanted to implement this policy in the first place.
He resigned because at the previous conference there was a threat made by the RET faction to the conference.
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‘Strategy’
They wanted to collapse the conference if the policy was adopted, so as a strategy, the other factions knew very well that once in power, they would ignore the policy, as they have done.
Breakfast said another related issue was the fact that the newly elected ANC secretary general, Fikile Mbalula, said the conference would not discuss President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala scandal.
He said this begs the question of transparency. “What is the political meaning of this? Does it mean that the party does not take corruption seriously because in the build-up to the conference, we heard that the matter will be referred to the conference, but now Mbalula says that the conference will not look into the matter.
“The problem of Phala Phala will not go away. As many presidents have won political battles, they have not won legal battles.
Step-aside rule
Another controversial policy that could dominate the conference is the step-by-step rule which, Breakfast said, is a battle that Ramaphosa’s detractors are losing.
“The RET forces are motivated and want to argue for the removal of the policy. The fact that they lost the elections in almost every position has damaged them,” he said.
“The Ramaphosa faction has been very strategic because, at the policy conference, they won the debate and the policy was not thrown out.
The fact that they have won a strategic position, says a lot. Another political analyst, Xolani Dube, said there were no policy changes in the ANC conference pack because the party was not responsible.
“There’s nothing to expect, it’s just going to be a whitewash, it’s just going to tick a box.” Dube said the Phala Phala issue will be used to control Ramaphosa.
“It’s the influence of the ruling class to say if you don’t do what we want, we can take you to prison any time,” he said.
“It’s like the arms deal for Jacob Zuma and the Aids problem for Thabo Mbeki. The ruling class always has an influence on how to control the self-anointed president.
He said the newly elected NEC will also not discuss Phala Phala because it is using Ramaphosa as a stepladder to keep politics alive.
“It would also be naïve for the ANC to remove the president on election night; it would throw the organization into deep disarray.”
Also read: Phala Phala: Should Ramaphosa go? This ANC member voted ‘yes’
– lungam@citizen.co.za