Analysis: Western Cape ANC's new provincial secretary hits the ground running

For some time now the view among many in the Western Cape has been that ANC leader Marius Fransman, with his populist rhetoric and controversial off-the cuff remarks – most notably that 98% of land owners in the province are white and Jewish – is the DA's “secret weapon” in the region and a liability to the party in a province with a fickle and diverse voting constituency.

The ANC's first big surprise – or rather shock – in the province arrived with the ‘dawn of democracy’ in 1994 when the party – at the height of its popularity and with Mandela as leader – attracted 714,271 votes to the National Party's 1,195,633 and the then Democratic Party's 88,804. In 2009 the ANC's vote fell from 46% in 2004 to 31.55% while the DA edged up to 51%.

In the 2014 general election the ANC received 697,664 votes (32.80% and 14 seats), the EFF 44 762 (2.11% and one seat) while the DA attracted 1 259 645 (59.38% and 26 seats). While 32% is not great for a national ruling party, this does still represent a sizeable constituency in the region.

One of the most difficult challenges for party activists in the region has been how to campaign effectively with President Jacob Zuma as the visible face of the party. Some, during the 2014 election, opted to wear generic party T-shirts or those bearing the face of Nelson Mandela during door-to-door campaigning because of the hostility of much of the populace towards Zuma.

Until two weeks ago anyone suggesting that the ANC could even hope to salvage it's battered reputation in the region would have rolled their eyes. Yet a few weeks after the party's provincial elective conference there is evidence of a new buzz, tone and direction. The party has less than a year in the run up to the 2016 municipal elections with the DA comfortably in the lead and the EFF also making inroads. But it appears to be getting its gat in rat (arse into gear).

In the past, political analysts – most notably Nic Borain – have suggested that if the ANC was serious about winning the province it would have to find a leader “who can speak to all its constituencies”. So far it certainly appears as if newly elected provincial secretary, Faiez Jacobs, might be that person. Jacobs recently described himself as “a democrat”, a “non racialist” and “not a coloured nationalist” who would be employing the type of “ethnic mobilisation” that appears to have been the main thrust of Fransman's vision until now.

While Fransman was re-elected leader, it is Jacobs who is doing, at present, much of the talking. And it is a very different kind of talk from that which residents of the city have become accustomed to.

During one of his first interviews on 30 June Jacobs – flanked by Fransman and new deputy leader, Khaya Magaxa – said he would like to start “on a clean slate” with regard to the party's relationship with the media. Jacobs also spoke about the party's non-racial history, acknowledged that politicians could not simply take voters for granted and owned up to mistakes the party had made.

Jacobs' election by a mere six votes trumping sitting secretary Songezo Mjongile was a surprise to some in the party as he had, until then, kept a relatively low profile. While he remained a member of the ANC, Jacobs worked in the private sector and then more recently as as director for the Western Cape Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA), an arm of the ministry for co-operative governance and traditional affairs.

Last week after the provincial executive committee's first meeting since the election of its new leadership, the party released its strongest statement in years titled “ANC Gears up in Province” and outlining a vision and strategy for the coming months. This included a call for “decisive and swift action” for ill-discipline, corruption and wrongdoing and vowing to be “consistent and firm in acting against abuse of leadership positions for personal gain or factional interests”.

This is the strongest indication that local party members and branches have realised that it is exactly this that has crippled the party in recent years. While the resolutions also call for the usual unity and co-operation, they also provide insight into the party's understanding that sweeping changes need to be made if it intends to regain trust in the region.

The statement calls for provincial executive protocols and structures to “be tightened” and identified five interventions to “effect genuine renewal”.

These are:

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  a reframing the party's leadership and confronting “the organisation's core problems”;

  
  


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  the introduction of “bold measures to safeguard the ANC's integrity and protect its value system”;

  
  


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  improving the party's capacity to govern including the visibility, accountability and impact of elected representatives;

  
  


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  the roll-out of a “massive” political education campaign among membership and leadership and finally,

  
  


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  a reorganisation of “the grassroots structures of the ANC to focus on the problems of the people –especially poverty, jobs, services, housing, crime, drugs and gangs”.

  
  

“We call on our members to work tirelessly to serve the people. Remain loyal and disciplined, work constructively, involve the people, stay in touch with them and do everything with honesty and integrity. Break no laws and tolerate no corruption,” Jacobs said in the statement.

Some of the 12 areas for the party's proposed “organisational renewal” include “ideological renewal and cadreship development” in an attempt to “reassert the values of service and sacrifice, honesty, integrity, hard work and ethical conduct” as well as the reaffirmation of principles of “internal democracy” including “frank debates, non-racialism and non-sexism and centrality of unity and cohesion.”

The new leadership also committed itself to seek out intergenerational co-operation and to draw out “the most committed and talented cadres from different generations, facilitating smooth leadership transitions”.

The party also plans to overhaul its systems of membership “so that it is modernised and efficient” in order for branch membership to grow if the party hopes to attract at least 100,000 new members.

“Branch programmes should politicise and empower members so that they can become agents for change, always seeking to unite and serve. We call on old and potential ANC members to come back to ANC branches, we need you,” said Jacobs.

The party's offices too would be made more accessible and welcoming and would be staffed by skilled and professional individuals. Its internal and public communications would also be overhauled “by harnessing and deploying the ICT revolution and social media”.

In future “deployed cadres” can expect regular performance appraisals, monitoring, evaluation and accountability.

“This includes reviewing the list process ensures that we deploy the most committed, skilled, talented, ethical and incorruptible cadres capable of and willing to advance the agenda for transformation. Incompetence and corruption should be punished severely. The management of the deployment processes should be transparent, predictable and objective so that tensions and suspicions on deployment are minimised.”

The new leadership also vowed to build financial sustainability ensuring that “the ANC finances itself at different levels, especially the branches. The ANC should protect its integrity and image, ensure accountability and proper financial management.”

It also undertook to rebuild relations with social movements and civil society which had become strained in some instances under Mjongile's leadership.

The ANC's provincial general council will meet in October this year when a report-back on these new leadership plans would be provided. The party's immediate tasks, however, were to “unite, reconcile, heal and renew” as well as “embrace our oppositional role whether in the provincial legislature or municipal councils”.

The new PEC will conduct service delivery audits and mobilise community structures to campaign for improved and effective service delivery. It would also convene a team of community activists and safely and security specialists to advise leadership on how it would need to deal with crime, gangsterism and drugs in communities.

Drastic times clearly call for drastic measures and for a party that has become politically moribund and that has bled considerable support over the years, this might be its last chance. In 2004 the ANC received 45.25% of the vote and formed a provincial government in coalition with the New National Party which garnered 11%. In 2005 NNP members crossed the floor to join the ANC giving it an absolute majority for the first time.

It will be a hard slog for the party, even with this new leadership, to increase support at least close to the percentages it enjoyed in 2004. And while the Western Cape ANC has not been able to exert much influence on national structures it will be interesting to watch, if it does manage to increase its support, how the region will assert itself in the palace politics of the mother body. DM

Photo: Western Cape ANC's new provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs. (Facebook)