In election campaign style, the ANC’s top brass took to the streets of the DA’s heartland in an attempt to woo mainly DA voters to again vote ANC.

As expected, the ANC has done very little, if anything, to discredit the DA’s policies, which ensure that the Western Cape is the best-run and -governed province in the country. Instead everyone, from an excitable Blade Nzimande to an absent Jacob Zuma, chose to use their airtime to lambaste the DA through cheap politicking and racial mobilisation. Their last defence mechanism.

At 103 years old, the ANC has run out of ideas and time. The polls in the country’s major centres show that the relic which is the ANC, is losing the support of voters. Notably in Gauteng, the party lost about 10% of the vote, when compared to the previous General Election; and on Saturday, the ANC celebrated its anniversary in a province that it does not govern. A place where voters have said “out with the old and in with the new”.

The 103-year-old party has, over time, with each passing anniversary, forgotten that the opportunity and privilege (not “right”, as President Zuma has said) to govern comes with the responsibility of accountability. Accountability to the voters, to Parliament and most importantly, the Constitution. Without a commitment to accountability, a cornerstone of the practice of constitutional democracy, then we see an abuse of power and resources. This is not the ANC many, like myself, grew up admiring; and the fight for accountability now lies with the DA.

A lack of accountability creates an environment, which gives political czars a license to become a law unto themselves. This results in an irregular trillion Rand Russia nuclear deal, Nkandla, poor service delivery or the lack thereof, Guptagate, load-shedding, to name a few events and occurrences that are birthed from a lack of accountability.

When President Zuma and his band of merry men and women cut the cake and raised their glasses, they needed to reflect on the dangerous path they are taking South Africa down. They needed to reflect on why, despite their scaremongering and race-baiting, more and more South Africans are voting for the DA.

At 103 years old, the ANC is showing that wisdom does not necessarily come with age, and undesirable qualities develop. Qualities like an aversion to accountability. The ANC’s disregard for accountability can be seen from Municipal Councils which fail to address service delivery shortfalls, to the National Assembly, where poor and even detrimental laws are passed.

If at 103 years the ANC has not grasped the simple yet vital democratic concept of accountability, then the only lesson that this old party can be taught, is by voters at the polls.

Happy birthday, ANC. Here’s to hoping that in your old age, you realise the need and value of accountability. DM