In a crucial three-day meeting set to commence this Friday, the top leadership of South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), will deliberate on the potential separation from its former leader, Jacob Zuma. This decision is anticipated to estrange a segment of its support base as the party prepares for what is expected to be its most challenging election yet.
Last month, 81-year-old Zuma diverged from the ANC by announcing his campaign for the newly established uMkhonto Wesizwe party. Despite this move, he asserted that he remains a member of the ANC.
Addressing the matter, Gwen Ramokgopa, the ANC’s treasurer general, acknowledged, “The issue of our former president is one of the painful issues that the organization is facing.” She explained that the party is currently in the process of listening, analyzing, assessing, and investigating the situation, with a formal statement expected from the National Executive Committee (NEC) following their official meeting.
Zuma’s nearly nine-year tenure as the president of South Africa was marred by a series of scandals, leading to his resignation in 2018 under pressure from the ANC to mitigate declining support. A judicial commission of inquiry later implicated him in widespread looting of state coffers and the erosion of key institutions during his leadership, allegations vehemently denied by Zuma.
Despite the controversies, a recent poll conducted by the Social Research Foundation revealed that 28.9% of respondents nationwide held a favorable view of Zuma. This figure significantly rose to 63.1% in KwaZulu-Natal, his home province.
KwaZulu-Natal, the second-most populous province currently governed by the ANC, is poised to be a pivotal battleground in the upcoming elections, scheduled within the next seven months. Various surveys indicate the ANC faces the risk of losing outright control. While the impact of Zuma’s popularity on the uMkhonto Wesizwe party’s success remains uncertain, the ANC could alienate his sympathizers.
Prior to Zuma’s departure, the ANC was already grappling with challenges, including its inability to address persistent power cuts, logistical issues, and escalating poverty and unemployment. The party, which has led South Africa’s most industrialized economy since the end of White-minority rule in 1994, is slated to unveil its election manifesto on Feb. 24.
In light of these developments, Ramokgopa urged ANC supporters not to abandon a movement that played a pivotal role in the fight against apartheid and the establishment of democratic rule.