The ANC is tired, plus five talking points from ‘Vrye Weekblad’

Maybe President Cyril Ramaphosa is not as secure in his position as I have been alleging for months, writes political analyst Piet Croucamp in this week's edition of Vrye Weekblad. 

In just over a year, the ANC holds its next leadership elections. It is now evident that the collapse of the secretary-general's office has left the party deeply divided and fragile. 

Ramaphosa has still not gained full control over branches and regions. The president is very much aware of the humiliation that he could face in December 2022 if he can't spread his influence to the provinces.

But let's look at the broader political landscape first.

It is probably easy to hate the ANC for what the party has done to our ideals for a democratic SA, but to blame only the ruling party for the situation we are in is a broad generalisation and will bring no new insights. 

There have always been a few whites among us who refuse to give up on their wet dream about a homeland and their unbridled hate for the liberation movement. They are no less damaging to our liberal-democratic ideals than the ANC. Some of them undermine the economy by creating dark scenarios to convince capital owners to move their money out of the country. The Afrikaans media is riddled with political and economic analysts with ideological ideals of a stifling market economy that would isolate privilege from the swarms of unemployed people. I agree with them that the ANC has never been able to really create the trust in SA that was needed to give the market economy a fair chance. 

Some voters differentiate between Ramaphosa and the ANC. It is often said that a large part of the ANC's support in 2019 was actually a motion of hope in Ramaphosa and not in the ANC.

But the black middle-class is clearly sceptical about Ramaphosa and many would likely vote EFF. The tenderpreneur class just uses politicians for their own means so their support is not based on loyalty. Those who get grants from the state just try to keep the status quo, so their vote is also not a vote of confidence in the liberation movement. 

After 27 years of political power and economic insecurity, the historical consensus in the ANC is brittle.   

Read more on this, and more news, analysis and interviews in this Friday's edition of Vrye Weekblad. 

Must-read articles in this week’s Vrye Weekblad

>> Browse the full September 24 edition

DEMOCRACY'S KRYPTONITE |Max du Preez looks at the waning status of the judiciary and asks that this important pillar of our democracy need to be strengthened urgently. 

WHAT ARE THE HACKERS PLANNING? | Sophisticated gangs of hackers make a fortune by hijacking companies' and governments' systems and demanding ransom. This thing is going to get uglier.

TANNIE GURU | Johanna Brandt was a spy and nurse during the Anglo-Boer War, and later probably SA's first New Age activist. We take a look at this eccentric woman's life.

BRAAI O'CLOCK | In this month's Vrye Tyd we play with fire. South Africans love a braai, but the global trend is to braai more than just meat. 

SUBSCRIBE AND WIN WINE | Subscribe in September and stand a chance to win one of 15 cases of Jan Harmsgat wines.