PODCAST | Is the ANC leadership battle a contest between deplorables?

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Mike Siluma, deputy editor of the Sunday Times, and Susan Booysen, well-known political analyst, joined Eusebius McKaiser on his TimesLIVE podcast to discuss the state of the ANC leadership battles.

The impetus for this episode of the podcast is the recent press statement by former president Jacob Zuma in which he shared his views ahead of the ANC elective conference in December.

Zuma argued a “generational mix” rather than a “generational takeover” is the best guiding principle for the conference choices. He also indicated his availability to be elected as ANC chair in the event branches nominate him.

The first task of the panellists was to try to make sense of Zuma’s statement.

Booysen argued the former president is “delusional” in his assessment of how much political weight he carries, and how much influence he has to potentially affect the outcome of the ANC elective conference.

Siluma agreed, and pointed to the obvious differences between the former president’s wishes and the preferences of the KwaZulu-Natal leadership.

The panel members debated whether ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa is likely to be re-elected. Though there was some agreement this might be the case, they agreed the situation varies significantly from the position at the beginning of the year.

Siluma argued that after the Phala Phala scandal in particular, brand Ramaphosa is far weaker than it used to be. Consequently, some members of the ANC may not regard the name and face of the president on posters ahead of 2024 as a precondition for the ruling party to do well in the next elections.

Booysen said none of the candidates running for top leadership positions are blemish-free, and therefore there is greater contestation than was the case when there were clearer ethical differences between candidates in some previous elections.

McKaiser also got the panel members to discuss the general state of leadership within the ruling party, and by extension in the ANC-led state.

Booysen argued there is a leadership crisis insofar as there is jostling for positions but not contestation around ideas, policy differences and different visions for how to solve the most pertinent crises within the country.

The conversation ended with a debate on whether a younger generation of leaders necessarily implies an opportunity to deal with the historic sins of incumbency of older leaders, or whether it is misguided to imagine younger leadership is likely to be more inclined to focus on ideas and building a more capable state.

It is up to listeners of the podcast to assess whether the host and his guests were too harsh in their evaluation of the state of the ANC leadership race or whether there is a possibility of the ANC proverbially renewing itself at leadership level.

To listen to previous episodes, go here.

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