In the midst of a turbulent year for the African National Congress (ANC), President Cyril Ramaphosa’s January 8 statement on the party’s renewal program has drawn mixed reactions from both South Africans and political commentators. The speech, delivered during the ANC’s 113th anniversary celebrations in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, was framed as another promise to fix the party and restore its credibility after its disastrous showing in the May 2024 elections. Ramaphosa framed the renewal not just as an internal party transformation, but as an essential part of improving governance, service delivery, and socio-economic change in South Africa.
“Renewal is about fixing the ANC,” Ramaphosa said, adding that it was also about addressing the country’s most pressing challenges. He underscored the party’s commitment to tackling socio-economic transformation, which includes ensuring that all ANC members, even the leadership, undergo an ethics and integrity course as part of the renewal process. However, the address, while grounded in lofty ideals, has been met with skepticism by many who feel that such promises are empty without meaningful action to back them up.
The tensions within the ruling alliance were palpable during the celebrations, particularly between the ANC and the South African Communist Party (SACP). Despite efforts to downplay the rift, the dispute became public when SACP Deputy National Chairperson, Thulas Nxesi, was met with boos and jeers while speaking on behalf of his absent leader, Solly Mapaila. Nxesi’s speech, which reiterated that the decision to contest elections was a collective one made by the ANC leadership, ignited anger in some quarters, further highlighting the ongoing friction within the alliance.
Nxesi, speaking to a restless crowd, acknowledged the ANC’s successes in areas such as education, housing, water, electrification, and gender equity since 1994. Yet, he also pointed to the factors that have led to the party’s recent electoral struggles. He blamed high unemployment, poverty, and inequality—especially among the youth and women—as key material factors eroding public support. “These objective factors have badly affected the ANC’s performance,” Nxesi said, though his speech was often drowned out by the noise of discontent. The internal divisions and corruption, including the legacy of state capture, were also named as subjective factors that led to a decline in the ANC’s electoral and political support.
A particularly sensitive issue that arose was the ongoing debate over the alliance’s future. Nxesi made it clear that the SACP was not abandoning the alliance but was rather calling for a reconfiguration to protect its independence. “Our resolution is to exercise our independence on fronts of struggles—not to leave the alliance,” he insisted, urging leaders to engage in debate rather than resorting to populist rhetoric. The remarks were a direct challenge to the growing calls from some ANC factions to sever ties with the SACP.
Meanwhile, Cosatu President Zingiswa Losi offered her support for Ramaphosa’s address, particularly his six priorities, which included a focus on the ANC’s renewal. “When you talk about renewal, you must remember the reasons for your existence,” Losi said. She emphasized that the ANC must reckon with its historical mandate and reflect on why it lost significant ground in the May elections. While supportive of the renewal talk, Losi also called for accountability from the party’s deployees, pointing out that the ANC must introspect on its failures, especially in the wake of the electoral setback.
However, some political analysts remain deeply skeptical about the prospects of the ANC’s renewal. Professor Sipho Seepe, a sharp critic of the current leadership, argued that no meaningful renewal could take place until the ANC deals with the unresolved Phala Phala scandal—where millions of US dollars were stolen from Ramaphosa’s farm in 2020. “Renewal starts with leadership beyond reproach,” Seepe said, pointing out that the scandal had irreparably damaged Ramaphosa’s image. He suggested that voters had already sent a strong message in the May 2024 elections that they would no longer tolerate political dishonesty.
On economic transformation, Seepe warned that the ANC’s coalition government, which includes the Democratic Alliance (DA), would make it nearly impossible to enact the kind of sweeping economic changes needed to address the inequalities that persist in South Africa. “With an outright majority, the ANC failed dismally to disrupt the apartheid economic infrastructure,” he said, suggesting that the inclusion of the DA in the Government of National Unity (GNU) would only further hinder the ANC’s ability to address these systemic issues.
As the ANC continues to grapple with internal divisions, public dissatisfaction, and its tarnished image, the question of renewal looms large. While Ramaphosa’s speech was heavy on promises and aspirations, many critics remain unconvinced that the party can regain its former stature without first confronting its most pressing scandals and ideological contradictions. As tensions within the ruling alliance continue to simmer, the ANC faces an uncertain future, and its ability to unite and deliver on its renewal promises will determine whether it can regain the trust of the South African people.
