[imagesource: Oupa Nkosi / M&G]
The ANC is and has been a total disaster for some time now.
Sadly, we all get dragged along for the ride, as the politically connected line their pockets and South Africa suffers.
Despite this, the party still comfortably ticks over the 50% mark in national elections, claiming 57,5% in 2019, with the DA a distant second with 20,77%.
It’s not like the DA has done much to court new voters in recent times, but one can always rely on the ANC to soil its own bed, and that’s very much the case at present.
Unless the Constitutional Court approves the postponement of the local government elections later this year, the party is in deep trouble.
The elections are set to take place on October 27.
TimesLIVE below:
The ruling party failed to meet the deadline to field a full slate of candidates in 35 municipalities, which could mean that power will change hands in councils across the country unless the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) reopens the registration of candidates…
Should the court rule that the election go ahead in October, the ANC would lose control of many councils and run the risk of dipping below 50% of the vote nationwide, insiders say.
The Constitutional Court should announce its decision on whether or not elections will be postponed this week.
Quite how you can be expected to run a country when you can’t even submit a full list of candidates to the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) on time is beyond me.
Then again, the ANC has had to resort to crowdfunding to raise money to pay staff, after months of unpaid wages:
@MYANC crowdfunding initiative
You can make your contribution to the African National Congress fundraising. pic.twitter.com/hERQOLhuKW— African National Congress (@MYANC) August 28, 2021
Which is more embarrassing – the above, or Jacob Zuma begging for donations to cover his legal fees?
In Gauteng, the ANC didn’t register candidates in 43 wards, meaning it could be tough for the party to cobble together a coalition government.
In the Cape Winelands district municipality, the ANC didn’t even register a single candidate.
The blame game has already begun:
Officials based at Luthuli House blamed party structures in the provinces for sending incorrect data, such as wrong ID numbers for candidates. In some instances party branches nominated candidates who were not registered as voters in those wards…
Most party insiders the Sunday Times spoke to said they did not have enough time to put lists together, especially in light of the pay protests by Luthuli House staff.
One Western Cape leader said staff would leave at 5PM and turn off their phones, making registration difficult.
Maybe if you paid their salaries, they’d be tempted to get back to you.
As City Press reports, there are even accusations of sabotage:
…a lack of resources, selfish interests, poor planning and factional differences contributed to the governing party’s failure to register candidates in some municipalities…
Some regional ANC structures have been accused of sabotage because they were upset that they no longer had a final say in choosing candidates, as community members who are not necessarily card-carrying ANC members have now been given a say in who stands for election.
Tearing itself apart from the inside.
If only we had an inclusive opposition party actively trying to broaden its voter base, that could properly capitalise on this chaos.
Voters that finally held the ANC, a criminal enterprise barely masquerading as a political party at this point, wouldn’t be unwelcome, either.
