In every possible scenario, the ANC is likely to be a force to be reckoned with after this year’s general election.
They will remain the largest political party and control at least several of the provinces and most municipalities in the country – with or without the assistance of the EFF. The horse-trading that could follow will be a torturous process and it is unclear whether the opposition parties (bar the EFF) will muster sufficient support and cohesion to unseat the ANC nationally or in some of the provinces. The ANC could also make deals of their own with smaller parties, as they did in Johannesburg.
By dragging Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and scoring the most pyrrhic of victories and a diplomatic coup, the ANC-in-government has alienated some of South Africa’s most important trade allies. Moreover, it has unequivocally sided with gross human rights violators and rogue regimes. This will have economic and other ramifications – if not now, then certainly in future. Not dissimilar to the draconian and needless Covid-19 measures, it will not be government bigwigs with safe jobs and no real accountability that suffer these consequences. The real losers will be the public, and more specifically, workers and consumers.
The kicker is that they have made, and will continue to make, domestic and foreign policies and decisions that cause immeasurable harm to the country on the back of a small portion of eligible voters. They woo and placate the black population (the majority of whom do not even vote for them due to the large number of non-voters) with symbolic gestures, grants, promises of socialism, and anti-white propaganda.
All the while they are ruining their education, keeping them unemployed and dependent on government by scapegoating and alienating the private sector, while degrading service delivery where they govern. If that is enough for you and you still want to vote for them, I don’t know what to tell you. There is literally nothing redeeming about them in my eyes. Even when it comes to government grants, another government will assuredly keep them in place.
For the rest of us, it is essential that we reject the ANC in every way possible and be seen to be doing so. We still live in a very state-centric world order where what governments do reflect badly on its citizens – whether we personally agree with our governments or not. This is not always the case, but for the most part it is true because foreigners and their governments don’t know any better. The ANC’s support is indeed dropping and it has lost its grip on many of its levers of power. The ICJ gambit is one perpetrated by a weak government, not a strong one. This needs to be exploited.
On the domestic front, it is vital that we do everything in our power to protect ourselves from the ANC’s pernicious governance and policy and change it. This is already in full swing, but can and must be expedited. The courts are one tool to challenge them, but it is limited in its actual impact on people’s lives. It’s also expensive.
Start with your household and yourself and get off the grid by any means possible. If you can, move to a different town, city or suburb where your property taxes are appreciated and prudently spent. Accept that some places are beyond repair and that the chances of the opposition taking over are nil.
Take care of your own security. Invest overseas. Protest peacefully if you must, and do so regularly. Join a civil society initiative of your choice and ensure strength in numbers. Make your voice heard in all and every possible fora. Make some noise. Organise something inexpensive and anodyne such as a clean-up at your local park or public space. You live there, so be co-responsible for how it looks if you are unhappy. Don’t just complain that cash-strapped and corrupt municipalities aren’t doing enough.
Importantly, simply go out and vote. Governance still matters in a very real sense and the ANC can and must eventually be voted out of power. I have repeatedly heard the claim by black youths that they refuse to vote because they are unemployed. The ANC is certainly part of the reason why they are unemployed, so change the government and policies along with it! I now live in the Western Cape and recently visited Gauteng.
Not that my adoptive home is perfect and I don’t expect it to be, but the difference in governance is stark. Gauteng and especially Johannesburg are still incredibly wealthy, but they are unkempt, dirty and dilapidated. Large and gleaming private sector buildings in the city tower over a landscape of potholes and other forms of neglect.
Pleas have been made for this before and efforts are already underway, but provinces, cities and private role-players should craft and intensify their own foreign strategies. It need not be formal diplomacy and could just revolve around fostering awareness, but it could veritably help to change the narrative that the ANC acts on behalf of us all. Cities and regions are often the lynchpin of an entire country. It could be economically advantageous for everyone when they lure further foreign business to a country that is otherwise an unattractive investment destination.
To be sure, the ANC will not like any of this and at best be indifferent to most of it. They have shown in certain metros that they are certainly not averse to sabotage if they lose power, but they are too weak and morally bankrupt to prevent any of it. And it’s not about them. It’s about us. Although change is often difficult and often requires courage, it needs to start somewhere.
Dr Brink is a business consultant, entrepreneur and analyst based in Paarl.
