Politics of failure — Panyaza Lesufi’s populism may be running out of runway

Gauteng has often been seen as an indicator of the direction of our greater politics. Because of its urbanised nature, there is more diversity and thus more viable political choices than in most other provinces.

From as early as 2012, it was the only ANC province to properly campaign against Jacob Zuma’s leadership in the ANC. Four years later, urban residents removed the ANC from its position as the majority party in three metros, leading to seismic political and governance change.

Now, the situation in the Gauteng ANC has changed dramatically.

First came strong indications of disunity in the province.

Leading up to the election of Lesufi as Gauteng ANC leader two years ago, the outgoing premier, David Makhura, was moved to describe a regional Ekurhuleni conference as a “war zone”. 

Then came something almost unseen previously. The Gauteng ANC appeared to refuse to accept the authority of the national ANC. 

While the national ANC’s coalitions committee (by now chaired by Makhura) said that the party should not work with the EFF, Lesufi and those around him continued to work with Julius Malema in Joburg and Ekurhuleni. 

In at least one case, this was also against the wishes of the local ANC.

While this may have been in defiance of those in the ANC who did not want them to work with the EFF, it may as a result have strengthened their hand in the longer term as the Gauteng experience has shown how the ANC cannot trust the EFF. 

The result was that talks between the ANC and the EFF to work together nationally never resulted in anything concrete, and the ANC ended up forming a coalition with the DA as its major partner.

But more was to follow, in that Lesufi then refused to appoint DA members to his provincial cabinet. This was despite the DA supporting his nomination for premier, resulting in ANC members voting the DA’s Refiloe Nt’sekhe to the position of deputy speaker of the provincial legislature.

Short-term gain