The unprecedented avalanche of intra-party litigation which is almost becoming the new normal in the jostling and fierce contest for leadership positions within the governing ANC may, if it continues, present a serious and real threat to the fortunes and prospects of Africa’s oldest liberation movement in the 2019 general elections.
Lest we forget, Cope only succeeded in litigating itself into a position of political insignificance and oblivion and now plays second or third fiddle to the likes of the EFF.
It seems to me that the centre must not just hold but must provide inspiring and unifying leadership that stands above narrow factional divides and battles.
However, infighting within the ruling party tends to involve this or that leader at national or provincial level supporting this or that faction at provincial, regional or even branch level. The stakes are high! Political positions are increasingly leveraged to access economic resources either through the government tender system or state owned companies’ procurement processes.
The build-up to Nasrec saw an emergent and intensifying tendency by disgruntled, defeated or aspiring leaders to resort to the courts as arbiters of unresolved and contested leadership disputes.
There is high hope and expectation that post-Nasrec stability, unity and renewal will return. Senior ANC leaders must emphatically make that call.
However, some of them forget to disclose that behind the scenes they may be fermenting, deepening and perpetuating divisions for personal or factional reasons.
That’s the paradox of politics. Say one thing when it’s convenient and do the opposite when it’s also convenient. It is not enough to just shout unity and renewal in front of television cameras.
There is a view, yet to be confirmed with compelling evidence, that some senior leaders may be funding or facilitating the funding of the litigation which is trending in movement structures.
Some may wonder whether, in the interest of transparency, democracy and the public interest, there must be full disclosure of the sources of funding for the plethora of litigation that has happened or is under way within the ANC.
In a democratic society like ours, approaching the courts for recourse is a fundamental right that cannot be limited or denied to anyone with the means to afford expensive lawyers. From a political perspective, such trends need to viewed as a symptom or indication of declining trust and confidence in the internal structures and processes of the ANC which are supposed to resolve these matters.
It seems paradoxical that the same political parties that plead poverty have members who have the means to hire expensive lawyers to fight their party political battles instead of donating that money to Luthuli House.
An unstable and quarrelsome ruling party may become a threat to the social cohesion and national unity projects which are key to taking South Africa forward and to attracting and retaining foreign investors and tourists.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and his leadership need to walk the talk of unity and renewal before they talk it to the party faithful and the country. They need to ensure consistency between their words and deeds.
One of the biggest challenges is managing the twin tendencies of Nasrec triumphalism and Nasrec defeatism. The former tends to want revenge by isolating and/or purging those not part of their faction.
Some in the triumphalist camp feel disappointed for not getting cabinet appointments in the last cabinet reshuffle and can’t wait to be brought in after the 2019 elections.
The defeatists want a fight back and feel that the conference was stolen and that the results should have been contested.
Some in the defeatist camp feel marginalised and betrayed by the Nasrec promises and commitments to unify and renew the party. If these tendencies are not eradicated or managed in an efficacious way, the unity and renewal projects are likely to be a mirage at best or wishful thinking at worst.
But what exactly are the disputes about? Most of the disputes are not about policy or ideology but about who gets what position.
The divisions require political maturity and selfless leaders and members who view politics as a vocation and a calling to serve the public rather than as a means to amass instant wealth and gratification at the people’s expense.
South Africa has immense potential to be a world-class and globally competitive nation that delivers prosperity and a better life.
To unlock that potential requires leaders and citizens who put unity and stability as well as the national interest above their own. This can and must be done.
* Dlamini is a member of the national council of the SA Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) at Wits University.