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May 9, 2025 – JOHANNESBURG
For years, the African National Congress (ANC) stood as a moral authority in South African politics—a party forged in struggle and sacrifice. But decades in power have left the once-revered movement mired in corruption, internal power struggles, and a widening disconnect from the very people it vowed to serve.
Corruption Scandals: A Stain on the Liberation Legacy
The ANC has been rocked by a series of corruption scandals that have shattered public trust. From the infamous arms deal in the early 2000s to the era of “state capture” under former President Jacob Zuma, billions of rand have been siphoned away from public coffers. The Zondo Commission laid bare how high-ranking officials and state-owned enterprises were compromised by private interests, exposing the deep rot within government institutions.
Despite promises of reform and accountability, many implicated figures remain in influential positions. Efforts to clean house have been slow and selective, deepening public cynicism. The message to citizens has been clear: those at the top rarely pay the price for wrongdoing.
Bruising Leadership Contests and Endless Infighting
The ANC’s internal leadership battles have become as notorious as its scandals. From the Mbeki-Zuma power struggle to the bitter contests between Ramaphosa and his rivals, the party’s energy has often been consumed by factional warfare rather than governance.
These contests, often settled through backroom deals or disputed conferences, have weakened the party’s coherence and credibility. Leaders frequently emerge not as unifiers but as victors of internal power games—leaving the party more divided with each contest. As factions jostle for control, policy direction suffers, and governance stalls.
Factionalism within the ANC is not merely political—it has become institutionalized. Competing camps with diverging visions and loyalties operate almost like separate parties under the same banner. This has led to paralysis in decision-making, inconsistent messaging, and a growing inability to deliver on even the most basic public services.
Provincial and municipal structures are often battlegrounds for factional supremacy, leading to dysfunction, poor service delivery, and in some cases, outright violence. Loyalty to a faction often supersedes loyalty to the people or the Constitution.
The Poor Left Behind
Perhaps the most tragic indictment of the ANC’s failures lies in its inability to uplift the lives of South Africa’s poor. Despite ambitious promises of land reform, economic transformation, and job creation, poverty and inequality remain stubbornly high.
Millions still live without access to quality housing, healthcare, or education. Youth unemployment is among the highest in the world. In townships and rural areas, residents lament the lack of water, sanitation, and electricity—basic services that were meant to be guaranteed in a post-apartheid society.
The ANC’s economic policies have too often prioritized elite enrichment over broad-based empowerment. Programs intended to redress apartheid-era injustices have instead created a narrow class of politically connected beneficiaries, while the majority continue to struggle.
As the ANC faces its most serious legitimacy crisis since 1994, South Africans are left asking: is the party still capable of renewal, or has it become indistinguishable from the systems of power it once fought to dismantle?
