Janice R. Andrews
With 83,000 ANC supporters packing the stands to show their steadfast support for the ruling party, it was intended to be a show of strength. Rather, the Siyanqoba (“To conquer”) event ended in chaos as participants filed out of the almost full arena before President Cyril Ramaphosa had a chance to say a word. ANC leaders are more concerned than ever that their party, which liberated South Africa, may lose the majority for the first time since Nelson Mandela’s historic win in 1994 as a result of this depressing scene.
The fragile condition of the ANC is mostly its own fault. Ramaphosa’s predecessor, Jacob Zuma, had widespread corruption, which seriously undermined state institutions and left the country with extreme unemployment and declining public services. Anger has reached a boiling point in South Africa, where 40% of the population is unemployed and there is still significant inequality.
“Everyone is concerned about crime,” says political analyst William Gumede. “It has drained the life out of South Africa.“
The advancements made under Mandela and his successor, Thabo Mbeki, were undone under Zuma’s administration, when billions of state funds were embezzled, forcing many state institutions into bankruptcy. An indicting official investigation exposed the ways in which the ANC, under Zuma, enabled corruption.
There’s a clear generational split emerging. At the event, older ANC supporters bemoaned the fact that their kids, who have only known a South Africa without restrictions, are growing disenchanted with the party. Pregnant at the inaugural free elections in 1994, Girlfaith Dlamini gave the African National Congress (ANC) credit for her daughter’s education. However, her daughter intends to cast her ballot for Julius Malema’s left-wing populist party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). Many families have a similar divide. Mary Monyweka, an ANC official in Tshwane, reflected on her personal experiences during the anti-apartheid movement.
The ANC is also losing popularity to newly formed political organizations, such as the uMkhonto we Sizwe party, which Zuma launched and is named after the ANC’s old armed wing. Voters have a wide range of options because there are 52 parties on the ballot. Thanks to its successful leadership in Cape Town and the Western Cape, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has drawn in a younger, disgruntled voter base.
Despite its efforts to diversify, the DA nevertheless faces criticism for being perceived as a party that is primarily composed of white people. 36-year-old April Molobi addressed the community’s complaints during a DA rally in Soweto, saying, “Our children drink dirty water and go to sleep hungry.” These feelings were echoed by his sister Paulina and nephew Thalepo, who emphasized the ongoing unemployment and corruption they experience.
Back at the ANC gathering, among the vendors selling souvenirs emblazoned with liberation heroes, Johannesburg housing administrator Stephen Serapezo stayed upbeat. Despite accepting the party’s previous transgressions, he thought it might be revived. He cited the government’s position on global matters, such Gaza, as evidence of the ANC’s ongoing leadership.
Even with all of the obvious obstacles, Serapezo remained optimistic about South Africa and the ANC. “There is hope and we are making progress. “There’s no cause for discouragement,” he said.
With elections taking place in South Africa on Wednesday, the ANC’s future is unclear. It remains to be seen whether it can continue to dominate or will be compelled to form a coalition, but there is no denying that the nation’s enduring problems and the electorate’s mounting disenchantment will influence the result.
