ANC is not taking accountability for it’s failure: Analyst

While the ANC made bold promises to supporters during its manifesto launch at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, political analysts said the party was still defensive about its economic failures. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa, while delivering the keynote address, said the party will focus on its six priorities over the next five years. 

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The party’s six priorities include building inclusive industries, addressing the cost of living, strengthening the justice system, and advancing freedom.

The manifesto was launched ahead of the general and provincial elections on 29 May 2024. 

Ramaphosa said the party will build on the successes of the previous years and work to resolve the country’s challenges of high unemployment, crime and poverty should it win at the elections.

Independent socio-economic commentator, Dr Bhasela Yalezo said bold promises made at the manifesto launch were nothing new. 

“The manifesto was launched with so much fun fare. The stadium was quite full and the president was more confident than in the Sona address.

Nothing knew but full of promises on job opportunities, corruption the longlist which the party has failed to deliver on.

Somehow still defensive about the economic failures and saying its missteps. He was bold at taking a jab at the MK Party.

Overall are the same old promises which seem impossible to achieve if one looks totally at the performance of the ANC,” he said. 

ANC PREDICTED DECLINE

Professor David Everatt of the Wits School of Governance predicted that the ANC will receive well below the 50% mark but bigger than any other party, while the DA will receive 19% and the EFF 16%.

“The decline of the ANC seems unstoppable, but where no obvious successor has emerged – the DA and EFF each attract only around a fifth or sixth of voters. More than 90 new parties were recently registered but have added noise rather than contributing substantial change to the political scene – at least as measured by polls.

People either sit on their hands or simply don’t bother registering as voters.

It is easy to write this off as voter apathy. Rather than blame the voters, it is more accurate to say that no party has offered anything near enough to energise and mobilise these voters,” Everatt said.

University of Johannesburg (UJ) Lecturer in International Relations and Politics, Ndzalama Mathebula said the ANC manifesto was received in two distinct manners. 

“The political party is presenting one end that does not resonate with the reality of the whole country, rather it is received as some form of political gaslighting. 

At most South Africa is dealing with some form of democracy deficiency that does not match up to the standards of the democracy that is always preached by the leaders of the country,” Mathebula said.