ANC's credibility is dwindling

9 January 2017

The ANC 105th anniversary statement was empty with rehashed content. It was full of the old rhetoric about the history of the ANC. As a governing party it gave no direction for the future of this country - this clearly exposing the ANC as a party which lost its direction. Instead the speech was dominated by calls for unity in the ranks of the ANC and the Alliance - this as a sign that there are big divisions within the ANC and with its Alliance.

It is ironic that the man calling for unity of the ANC is the very man who divides the party. It is during his term as ANC President that the party had two breakaways, COPE and the EFF, with the possibility of the party having a third breakaway party lurking in the horizon. Its alliance partner Cosatu also split in the middle under Zuma. 

It is so sad that the ANC is making a big noise about filling-up the Orlando Stadium with a capacity of 40,000 far smaller than the FNB stadium which is more than double the size of Orlando stadium. We understand their excitement, because they know that it was an uphill battle to fill the stadium. More and more the meetings of the ANC are held in smaller venues than before.

The once powerful respected liberation movement has lost credibility amongst the people. Since after the unbanning of the ANC in 1990, they had all the time gathered at the FNB stadium and had no difficulty to fill it to capacity.

The ANC leadership does not want to accept that the party's leader Mr Zuma has become a liability to the party. Veterans and genuine members of the party turned their backs on the celebrations. Their conspicuous presence communicated a message that they were not going to listen to a discredited person like Zuma. He talked about the most revered leader of the ANC Oliver Tambo. Zuma' actions are a far cry to those of Mr Oliver Tambo. The old man must be turning in his grave as he is grossly misrepresented.

The most disgraceful thing to COPE is that Zuma is talking about Oliver Tambo as if he has the authority to do so, and the majority of the country knows that he Zuma does not have the moral authority to talk about Tambo. A house divided will never stand. A divided ANC will never stand. With the dwindling support we are witnessing the ANC has no other consequence but to fall and disappear.

Issued by Dennis Bloem, COPE Spokesperson, 9 January 2017