The Unraveling of ANC: From Liberation Movement to Factionalism and Decline

The African National Congress (ANC), once a liberation movement that commanded unwavering respect and mass support in South Africa and across the continent, now finds itself at a crossroads. The party's ascendancy to the epitome of African politics is now overshadowed by a complex weave of infighting, policy ambiguity, and tarnished legacies of its former and present leaders.

As the ANC prepares for the annual January 8 statement in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, the atmosphere is somber, a stark contrast to the buoyant mobilization of yesteryears. The year 2024 shapes up to be a critical juncture as the party, defaced by organizational decay, staggers towards the nation’s seventh national elections.

The internal tumult reached new heights at the memorial service of playwright Mbongeni Ngema, broadcast live on a public broadcaster, where a public spat between KwaZulu-Natal's ANC chairperson and the provincial premier laid bare the internal rift. Concurrently, Jacob Zuma's endorsement of the newly formed MK Party has raised the stakes and fervor within the ranks, stoking fears of further splitting the ANC vote.

On the national stage, the ANC's entrenched kleptocracy, a term underscored by the secretary general's admission of the party's deceit in parliament regarding Zuma's Nkandla residence, has all but smothered aspirations of building ethical leadership and a meritocratic cadre.

The presidency has historically been the crucible of power in the ANC, with figures like Nelson Mandela shaping a unifying vision and Thabo Mbeki initiating a technocratic approach along with pan-African priorities. However, even during these eras, seeds of elite dominance and bureaucracy were being sown. The Zuma era marked a departure to populist promises but eventuated in authoritarian leadership mode, institutional factionalism, and a detachment from the voting populace.

Under President Cyril Ramaphosa, the script appears much the same. Despite his rallying cry for unity and anticorruption, policy control has shifted towards centralization, with critical portfolios like energy and state security under the direct purview of his office. This crystallizes a deeply embedded imbalance within ANC politics, where accountability seems to have wilted in the face of oligarchic control.

To decipher the current political morass that the ANC finds itself in, one must scrutinize the concentration of power in the presidency and the party's failure to hold individuals accountable. The effects resound down to the provincial levels, fomenting a culture of 'Premier Leagues,' where party chairpersons act with seemingly divine authority.

The SACP captures this hegemony aptly, likening it to reactionary Bonapartism, where the president stands aloof, disintegrating party unity for personal, non-party interest. Renowned political theorist Antonio Gramsci's term "catastrophic equilibrium" may well describe the endemic stagnation that now plagues South Africa.

The turbulence within the ANC, encapsulating more than a political saga, is a critical alert to South African voters. With the ballot as their instrument, South Africans must now choose the trajectory of their nation – and whether the ANC, as it stands, can still shepherd the country towards a prosperous, united future.