By By Johnson Qobo
With the evolving of time, circumstances change and require new methods of dealing with every situation. Some things just run out of course and need replacement, while on the other hand, not much change is need but some serious adjustments need to be made.
Larry E. Greiner of the Harvard Business School alluded to the fact that in the corporate world, each organisation faces at least five stages of crisis resulting from their growth stages. Basically, as the organisation grows, it will be faced with challenges ranging from leadership, autonomy, control, red tape and so forth. Each stage requires adjustment or change in leadership. Some situations require an autocratic leader while other requires a democratic approach.
Taking the same principle and applying it to the ruling party and the country at large. South Africa is faced with a plethora of challenges with the ANC at the helm. This year, 2024, marks 30 years of democracy, of which the African National Congress (ANC) has played a major role in delivering the black nation and building what was meant to be a rainbow nation.
The ANC has been the Moses of black people in South Africa and as such, and correctly so, the ANC has sentimental value to most of the black population in South Africa. Just the thought of a post ANC government feels like betrayal. Beyond that, who else is fit to take over the ANC?
I grew up in the 80’s in Soweto, just when apartheid was about to end. Before that, one could feel the tension in the air with military vehicles patrolling the streets and Soweto Highway and the yellow police nyalas also patrolling, we used to call them ‘mellow yellow’.
At some point, at a certain time in the evening no one was supposed to be in the streets, otherwise you would face the music. Still yet, at a certain time at night all lights were supposed to be off and people must sleep.
I remember at one point, while the police and military were patrolling in our street, all the lights were off, but a neighbour had his TV on, they went into the man’s house and man-handled my neighbour, the screams were just unbearable.
This was later followed by a very bad situation in Meadowlands, with the IFP hostel dwellers and the ANC from the community clashing. It was a brutal war, hundreds were of people were killed; the sounds of the guns could be heard in Orlando where we were. It was a very uncomfortable situation.
One can narrate many incidents that came with apartheid; I am sure as you also read this you are reminded of your own experiences. With the release of Mandela and eventually a black man heading to the polls for the very first time in 1994; and being able to move freely across the country without the dom pass and no more being monitored like an animal; meant so much for a black person. The best a black person can do is to keep the movement that freed him in power for as long as possible.
The ANC played a crucial role in ending apartheid; a lot of blood was spilled to ensure that a black man is finally free. But the big question comes into play, 30 years later, has the ANC served its purpose? Has it come to the end of its journey? Do we need a change in leadership? If yes, who?
The economy of the country is getting worse by the day, unemployment is high, rates are skyrocketing, and crime is just out control. Service delivery in municipalities is disheartening. Load-shedding is adding to the country’s woes, mines are losing production time, ports are malfunctioning, and the rail industry is just a nightmare. (I would add Kaizer Chiefs losing games to the list but it’s not relevant).
The health care system also is a mess. In most municipalities, you would swear that, from an aerial view that they have chicken pox because of the potholes in the area. With the latest reports of corruption by ANC members and members of Parliament, it is not helping either, it is damaging the image of the liberation party.
Citizens have been lamenting over empty promises, the slow pace of land re-distribution, the lack of decisiveness in the leadership of the Congress. Members are fighting amongst themselves, members are involved in scandals including the President and lately the former Speaker of Parliament; it seems like the liberation party is self-distracting and will take the country down with it.
The United States of America is one of the countries in the world that is successful, with an inflation rate of 3.2% compared to South Africa’s 5.6%. The USA’s repo rate remained unchanged at 5.49% on Tuesday, 2 April 2024; while South Africa’s repo rate remains unchanged at 8.25%
Governing parties in the USA are guaranteed no permanent sit in power, you don’t deliver, you are out, simple. In the early formation years of the USA, it was led by the likes of Abraham Lincoln, who was from the National Union Party. As the years progressed, the Democrats and Republicans have been exchanging power.
Recently, Joe Biden, who is a Democrat, took power from Donald Trump who is a Republican. The same with Barack Obama, who is a Democrat, took power from George W Bush who is a Republican.
The assurance or guarantee of power can be detrimental to any democracy, it creates a lax approach on service delivery, undermines the urgent need for economic emancipation and the crucial need to grow the economy and create jobs. But when parties know that they are not guaranteed another term and the only way to remain in office is by delivering services to you constituency, they will do their best in running the country.
Like many other political parties, the ANC is out and about asking people to vote for them in the next elections, asking for another chance. When pointing out the state of the country, the party still blames apartheid after 30 years in power. It is not the apartheid government that failed to maintain roads and rail, it is not the apartheid government that collapsed SOEs and public schools and many more, blaming apartheid is a tired strategy, we need a leadership that takes responsibility and does the job.
It’s either the ruling party makes some serious adjustments in its leadership and strategy, or take a break from power and let another rule.
Is the ANC relevant then? Well, that is up to the citizens of South Africa. The main challenge now is, who can be trusted either than the ANC? People would not want to put a worse devil in power than what they know, who can be more charming than the ANC? Since some of the new parties have not demonstrated fully what they are capable of, it is hard to trust them with the number one office in the country; so, for most people, they would rather stay with the devil they know.
Which devil will you opt for amongst the 300 parties running for elections?
