‘ANC doing a great job self-mutilating’ – analyst
Political analyst Ralph Mathekga says the African National Congress (ANC) has again failed to take South Africans into its confidence.
The party’s national executive committee met at the weekend amid reports that its members, including several high-ranking officials, profited from government contracts meant to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the meeting, the NEC requested the party’s national leaders to draw up a list of cases involving ANC members with recommendations for action to be taken against them.
Provincial and regional structures have also been ordered to take steps against members and public representatives accused of abusing food parcels and other Covid-19 relief measures.
But Mathekga believes this is only a smoke screen.
“It shows a party that is quite divided and it is clear that the ANC is unable to take a strong position on anti-corruption.
“When they go into a meeting when the times in the country are like this and they come out with the discussions that we hear that they have been dealing with and the mood in the party, it actually says a lot and raises the question of whether does is really feel the pulse of the society.
“It is a party that is completely out of touch with the people.”
ALSO READ:
ANC NEC asks party leaders to draw up list of implicated members
The NEC met at the weekend amid reports that its members, including several high-ranking officials, profited from government contracts to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic. This has led to rising public anger against the government party, which is accused of allowing its members to profit from people's misery.
Mathekga says the party’s future will be bleak for as long as it continues to “self-mutilate”.
“From where I stand, I don’t think I’m painting a dire picture of the ANC, I think the ANC is good at that job. The privilege of ruining the party is reserved to the party senior themselves.
“Whichever faction you believe, whichever faction you are in within the ANC, the reality is that every day you come up with a weaker ANC, this thing is tearing the party apart.”