There is a subtle and unofficial admission within the African National Congress (ANC) that the ANC has a leadership crisis. Both in terms of the existing, and emerging leadership. Thus, some sections within the ANC are beginning to look at what may not necessarily be the traditional ANC leadership. That is, a leadership that would not have necessarily grown through the various leadership ranks within the structures of the ANC.
To this extent, the following two names have been raised for leadership positions in the movement: Mining Mogul, Patrice Motsepe; and affluent businessman, Sandile Zungu. Between these two, Zungu reportedly expressed his willingness to serve as the Chairperson of the ANC in KwaZulu/Natal. Whilst Motsepe’s name is being associated with the position of the ANC president. In both these instances, these are pathways to Zungu being the KZN Premier, and Motsepe being a state president. A few assumptions can be made from these developments: the first, as mentioned above, is the acceptance within the ANC that its own leadership processes, systems, and leagues, are not necessarily producing quality leadership. Secondly, it is the assumption that the movement requires a new type of leadership. A leadership that does not necessarily arise from populist rhetoric within the organisation, but one that is known for its own organisational performance.
This is tied to the third assumption, which suggests that since the private sector is a highly productive and competitive sector, leaders who come from this sector are most likely to enhance the performance of public sector institutions. Last, but not least, is the fallacious assumption that those with money, would not steal from the public purse.
There is one strategic Ramaphosa lesson here for Zungu. It is the risk of being factionalised. Walking into the leadership of the ANC in its current factions, risks drawing Zungu either into existing factions, or a new faction. That is, there is a danger that Zungu might be swallowed into the toxic ANC factional culture. In the process, he might get so consumed with internal ANC KZN conspiratorial politics rather than driving the transformational agenda that he is passionate about.
Whilst Zungu is an astute businessman, knowledgeable and practitioner of leadership, and advocacy, these attributes might be hampered by an ANC culture that is driven by self-serving elitist tendencies. For the ANC to benefit from the leadership attributes of Zungu, or Motsepe, it needs to revamp itself into a flexible servant organisation.
Zungu will need an ANC KZN that values internal cohesion, discipline, and is driven by performance and delivery ethos. In the absence of this type of ANC in KZN, he probably has to build one. Now, it is well known how draining the internal politics of the ANC can be. Here is another Ramaphosa lesson – he walked into the ANC top leadership with a disciplinarian approach but relied heavily on state systems and processes, rather persuasion and diplomacy within the ANC structures. However, being a chairperson at the provincial level, Zungu will not enjoy the reliance on state’s governance systems and processes to straighten the party. But then, relying on state governance to straighten party internal discipline issues, invokes the allegations of abuse of state power in dealing with political adversaries.
In the absence of an organisational strategy for leadership succession and management, various elements of the ANC are now scrambling for appropriate individuals with leadership capacity. In the absence of an organisational collective position, even leaders that may assume significant leadership roles within the organisation, maybe compromised, ironically, by the very same organisation they seek to uplift.
This emerging thinking within the ANC that the organisation should consider its own members that have demonstrated leadership and managerial capacity in the private sector for leadership positions, requires that the ANC undertakes possible shifts. This includes remodeling of internal structures, processes, and systems.
This might include reexamining the meaning, substance, and roles and responsibilities of branches. It also means reexamining how individuals assume leadership positions. In this ANC leadership crisis, it makes little sense to draw in a capable and able individual such as Zungu, and then subject him to the very same factional leadership contests that partly cripples the organisation.
It may also mean that the ANC KZN might consider not contesting Zungu for the chairmanship position. Perhaps, when Motsepe accepts to lead and rescue the ANC and accepts the call for the party’s presidency, those in the national leadership might choose not to contest him. There is already a lesson here from the Nasrec leadership contestation – once it follows factional contestation, so will be the ensuing regime itself.
The race for the ANC KZN leadership is already on. There will be no policy changes on leadership contestation before the elective conference close to mid-year. Zungu will have to navigate murky waters of factional, and yet he has to emerge as a unifier and statesman. Whilst he has the capacity and ability to lead, he may be constrained by the organisational limitations of his own movement.
Perhaps the ANC is evolving towards the Chinese leadership version of meritocracy. But meritocracy marries individual capacities, organisational values, and structures. Meritocracy is not simply capable individuals; it is also about generating functional and learning organisations.
- Tembe is Political Analyst with the Center for Development Research