By virtue of its dominance of the South African body politic, what the ANC does has always been of interest to the public. Its January 8 statement this year, delivered by party president Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday, would have been anticipated by a cross-section of South Africans.

Though it is aimed at giving the ANC faithful their marching orders, the statement is scrutinised by the broader public because it purportedly sets the tone for what the party will be doing this year, addressing both its internal and government programmes...