ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa must square the circle by explaining how the ANC justified forming a coalition government with its ideological enemies.
ANC supporters attend the ANC's birthday celebration in Mangaung in the Free State where the January 8 statement was delivered. Cape Town will be pulsating with the ANC’s celebratory activity this week, particularly its annual “January 8” celebration. The celebration marks a watershed moment as the party emerges bruised from a historic “below-50” performance in the 2024 national elections.
This GNU has emerged as a lightning rod within the ANC. Implemented without grassroots consultation or voter sensitisation, it thrust the DA—the ANC’s ideological enemy—into the corridors of power. Many party members who resisted this ANC-DA coalition were compelled to swallow the bitter pill, like someone on a hunger strike being force-fed jollof rice. Despite the trumpeted “successes of the GNU”, it remains an open wound in the ANC’s political image.
Recent and past electoral results paint a grim picture of growing disillusionment among ANC voters. The party’s performance in KZN and Gauteng was nothing short of catastrophic. Even traditional strongholds like Mpumalanga and Free State barely scraped above 50%, signalling vulnerability ahead of the 2026 LGE, and 2029.
With the electoral trajectory pointing to a downward trend, Ramaphosa’s speech must transcend ordinary political rhetoric to rekindle the ANC’s fighting spirit, especially with Local Government Elections coming next year. “Soft campaigning” will begin this year, and volunteers will face tough questions about the DA coalition during door-to-door campaigns.
The ANC’s slow response to many issues has been cause for concern. Workplace discrimination and racism remain a daily reality for many black middle-class professionals in corporate South Africa. As these unresolved challenges accumulate, the voters are keeping score.
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