SIYABONGA SITHOLE
Johannesburg - President Cyril Ramaphosa has sounded alarm bells on the decline in popularity of the ruling party.
The president was speaking during his opening address at the sixth ANC National Policy Conference at Nasrec on Friday.
Ramaphosa said the renewal project of the ANC must be centred at branches and communities in which its leaders served, adding that the decline in support showed how deeply divided the party was, as leaders continued to pursue individual interests instead of the interest of their communities.
Ramaphosa said the ruling party’s waning popularity was reflected in the decreasing support in local government elections of November 2021 where the the ANC was relegated to 45% support and lost more Metros since the advent of democracy.
"The ANC is at its weakest since the advent of democracy. Our weaknesses are evident in the distance between our leaders and the public they serve. It is also evidenced by divisions within our ranks. Our divisions are driven by competition for positions and pursuit to access to public resources and patronage," he said.
Ramaphosa said infighting within the party had resulted in vote buying.
“We see this being manifested through all these challenges that prevent us from serving our citizens and are felt beyond our structures. We can see these divisions in our alliance partners. Our divisions have weakened government in various areas which has impacted in infrastructure and provisions of services,” he said.
The president said despite the trying circumstances, the ANC was showing signs of renewal.
"As we prepare for this conference our branches have been able to hold branch meetings. This shows that people can trust us to improve their lives. We have shown progress in talking factionalism,"he said.
The president said there would be no compromise on the renewal of the party and urged party members to unite against corruption and patronage.
"As we chart the way forward we must clarify our position on financial interests including lifestyle audits. Recruitment of members must be accompanied by comprehensive induction," he said.
Ramaphosa added that there could be no renewal of the ANC without a fully functional youth league adding that the party must commit itself to building and rebuilding a capable youth league.
"We must be build a more youthful organisation. We would like to see more young members and more young people. The ANC must replenish itself and bring more young people into its structure. The revival of youth league is critical for our members. We must have a cohort of young people to take over the leadership of the movement and our country. At the same time we must also strive to achieve gender equality in our movement. We must address the current patriarchal attitudes," Ramaphosa added.
The president said the party must not pay lip service on the issues of gender parity within the movement.
The Star