It is not surprising that the ANC is considering wooing white voters ahead of next year’s elections, but the party will not overcome the challenge if it does not address its poor service delivery and the quality of its membership.
Former president Thabo Mbeki expressed these concerns during a conversation at Unisa recently when he stressed the importance of renewing the ANC and attracting the right quality of members to restore its status in society.
Lack of selflessness
It is common knowledge that since the ANC came to power, some of its leaders have been attracted to it because it is the easiest way to accumulate wealth through the abuse of state coffers. This led to the ANC being infiltrated by leaders who lacked the spirit of selflessness, service and sacrifice.
Instead of the values that the movement espouses, individuals jump on the ANC train for reason and greed.
This same character has become un-ANC in the ANC. Because they go around shielding themselves behind the name “leader”.
But if you look closely, they do not have the best interests of the ANC and the people at heart. All they do is be responsible and make the party content with poor members who are used as voting cattle for those who steal the country’s money.
The status and status of ANC members has been reduced to a stepping stone for those who seek political power for selfish reasons.
Most members join the ranks to be paid by those who want access to state power, this further reduces the party’s ability to retain the responsibilities assigned to the government.
The members are in the pocket of the political masters and their mouths are fed by the crumbs they receive from those non-ANC individuals.
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That is why Mbeki will be renewed in the future. For if this renewal does not take shape, the ANC will become a criminal party and will reach the point of no return because thugs will lead the party with mafia tendencies.
So, in order for the renewal to happen and be effective, the first step to solve this problem of poor quality members join in numbers.
The ANC should send every member to political school. There is no point in having one million members who do not benefit the party in any way.
More than 100 000 members are interested in the ANC and serving the people. So, it is important that ANC members are given a political education that will make them understand the political reasons, principles and values of the party.
In this way, they will become agents for change. But to ensure that this political education becomes a practical reality, it is important that the ANC always distance itself from individuals who have portrayed anti-ANC actions and that the rules of the party’s measures must be followed fairly, without being used as a means for those in power to purge comrades who does not support views.
‘Quality will change’
And the ANC needs to go back to its basics and encourage debate among its members. You must ensure a free space for members to spread their views.
By doing so, members will grow in quality and will challenge each other to find solutions to the problems facing the country.
In this way, reforms will take shape and non-ANC characters who are leaders will disappear because the political space of the ANC will not be accommodating of their actions.
Ultimately, the quality of the ANC will improve because its members will be based on its founding principles and will be able to think independently. -Mthembu is an independent commentator
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