The DA Federal Congress has taken place under Covid-19 and it was virtual. This congress reflects the changing political landscape in South Africa and demonstrates how political parties can use technology to adapt to emerging challenges. Seeing the candidates addressing delegates gave all the delegates an opportunity to know and understand who they were voting for and what the candidates stand for. This shows how the DA is moving with the times and how well organised it is.

The world is not waiting for the ANC to deal with its internal factional battles. It would be good to see ANC candidates put their ideas across to delegates so that delegates can know what the candidates stand for. If the ANC wants to survive, it needs to learn from the DA, and this would help with electing leaders on merit. This should be done from branch level so that members know who they are voting for and how the candidates would work towards improving the lives of South Africans.  This process would also help get the ANC get rid of slate politics and the buying of votes.

The ANC was supposed to have its National General Council in June, but due to Covid-19 it could not happen. However, the DA, which was also preparing for its elective conference, managed to come up with a good solution of holding it virtually. The ANC can learn from the DA and must stop operating like an underground organisation. It is no longer banned and cannot operate as it did during the apartheid era.

Embracing technology and other modern elective processes would help the ANC deploy the best cadres in positions of responsibility, as the process will be open and transparent. This would also help the ANC’s deployed cadres understand the importance of serving the people of South Africa and putting them first as they will be elected based on merit. Such a cadre would understand the importance of fighting corruption.

The longest-serving president of the ANC, Oliver Tambo, once said, “Learn from the enemy also. The enemy is not necessarily doing everything wrong. You may take his right tactics and use them to your advantage. At the same time, avoid repeating the enemy’s mistakes.” (Angola, 1977) 

The ANC has more than one million members and some of them are very disruptive. Many of them are used by some senior leaders to fuel the deep factionalism that is destroying the organisation. Next year the party is going into local government elections and it won’t be a walk in the park for the ANC. We have seen how the ANC votes decline in each and every election. This is because the ANC is led by arrogant people who seem not to care about the image of the organisation. 

There will be internal fights during the ANC list process as leaders battle over who must be deployed as councillors and mayors. The ANC should consider having a panel that will interview all the candidates to make sure they deploy capable people who are competent and have the necessary skills. This will help with service delivery. The organisation needs to find a better way to deal with internal battles or challenges because the ANC is a broad church.

The ANC is facing serious financial challenges, and having a virtual National General Council would be in its best interests. However, this would need an organisation that has functional branches that are not beholden to factionalism and gatekeeping. Holding a normal conference would be costly and the ANC can’t even afford to pay its staff members their salaries on time.

Unfortunately, the ANC is not likely to hold virtual conferences because of factionalism and gatekeeping. The ANC membership is not ready because they make a lot of money during conferences. Having a virtual conference would need an organisation that has disciplined members, which the ANC lacks. They would reject such a process because they won’t be able to cash in.  

The ANC needs to reinvent itself. It has not been able to do that and this is a major problem for the party. It can’t say it is a leader of society when it is not able to move with the times. The ANC will soon reach its sell-by date if it does not reinvent itself and the only people who can do that are young people who have not been corrupted by the politics of money. 

Some would also not survive if the ANC is politically stable, as they have nothing to offer in advancing the National Democratic Revolution. Some young people are only active in the ANC because they see the party as a job agency and an opportunity for tenders. DM