ANC Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane. (Ntshwe Mokoena)
vinegarScepticism about the timing of last-minute initiatives such as the Nathi Ispani jobs plan, improving service delivery and ending power outages has led to a drop in the ANC's vote ahead of the May 29 general election, said the party's first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane.
She told reporters at the ANC's national executive meeting (NEC) in Ekurhuleni on Friday that part of the discussion was about “voter doubts” that the introduction of the initiative so close to election day had created.
The ANC is gathering in Ekurhuleni to review its worst election results since 1994, which saw the party's approval rating plummet to below 50 percent, ending its long-standing majority in parliament.
“The delayed intervention has been viewed very suspiciously by the electorate. Nasi Ispani, Transformation Programme — Voters [were)] In fact, they're saying, 'Why now, why the 11th hour?'” she said.
Mokonyane added that voters believed the ANC had introduced these programmes just to lure them in, with the intention of scrapping them immediately after the elections.
She said the government had to respond to speculation that the suspension of rolling blackouts this year, after months of previous widespread blackouts, was to avoid damaging the ANC's chances of an electoral victory.
In Gauteng, Premier Panyaza Lesufi faced accusations of electioneering from the opposition, who claimed his “Nasi Ispani” initiative was also aimed at attracting voters to the ANC.
Lesufi had also promised Gauteng residents that he would write off defaulted debts owed to Eskom customers ahead of the election.
Mokonyane said one of the lessons learned was that “if there is a need to intervene, do it four years and nine months before the next elections. “We need solutions that involve everyone and ensure that the intervention is sustainable.”
This forced the ANC to form the Government of National Unity (GNU) with nine other parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party, Rise Mzansi, GOOD, Patriotic Union, Al-Jama'a, PLUS Freedom Front, Pan African Congress and United Democratic Movement.
The three-day NEC rally will be followed by a three-day lekgotla attended by the ANC's alliance partners, the South African Communist Party and trade union federation Cosatu, as well as party veterans including former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kagalema Motlanthe.
According to an 18-page assessment of the election by former secretary-general of the presidency, Joel Nechitenje, the rise of breakaway parties from the ANC, such as former president Jacob Zuma's Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, appears to have had an impact on the ANC's support base.
“MK's emergence as the largest party in KwaZulu-Natal and increased vote share in Mpumalanga and Gauteng broadly reflect regions with similar ethnic identities to its party leaders. In the remaining six provinces, MK attracted one representative each in four provinces,” Netsitenje said in a written statement.
He added that voters who abstained were disappointed by the poor quality of service provided by the ANC.
“The millions of people who abstained from voting have lost faith in the ANC as the preeminent organisational platform to achieve this objective,” he said.
Nshitenje said voter turnout had fallen to 58.64% in 2024, compared to 89% in 1999, 77% in 2004 and 2009, 74% in 2014 and 66% in 2019, due to a lack of trust in the ANC.
The document was presented to NEC members ahead of Thursday's meeting where the party was aiming to draw up a plan to reverse its electoral defeat.
On Friday, Mokonyane seized the opportunity to assert the ANC's authority over the unity government in a bid to “silence any dissent that the DA is in control”.
“Who will lead the GNU? The ANC. We have invited everyone but we refuse to be integrated with the DA,” Mokonyane said.
“We are always conscious of the size of the constituency represented in Congress and we will work on that.”
ANC acting spokesman Zuko Godlimpi said the consultations would “continue to take into account the election results and will consider in detail some of the VD's data”. [voter district] “Level to local governments”
“A concrete structuring plan will then be drawn up after assessing the state of the organisation,” he added.