Modern ANC must develop capacity to deal with contradictions within the movement

“Our ears are accustomed as of our earliest age to listen to untruths, and our minds have been saturated over the ages as depositary of suppositions. We make the truth appear extravagant and we turn falsified tales into truth” — Sanchuniathon

There is a recorded account that the ANC at Robben Island was at some stage riddled with tensions. These tensions were so deep that some of the members of the High Organ would not be on speaking terms. The source of the tensions was the legitimacy of Nelson Mandela’s leadership. In resolving the matter, the High Organ conducted the election under the strenuous conditions of prison.

When Madiba was finally elected leader, the outcome was accepted and the tensions eased and were resolved. This is one of many examples from a revered generation of our liberation movement. This is a demonstrable capability to deal with contradictions in the movement and the organisation. A capability that needs to be acquired, nurtured and inculcated to deal with the challenges of today.

In the recent period a developing trend is that members of the ANC are now directing protest marches to Luthuli House. Another activity is the popularity of mini rallies in support of some leaders at their court appearances.

We should find no fault in people exercising their right to protest. And there should be no discomfort when leaders are supported when faced with one misfortune or other. It is striking how these protest marches are well funded and organised, especially in the context of the organisation itself facing financial challenges. You only have to look at their transportation, the T-shirts, food, the quality of their placards and posters and sound systems to understand the level of support for these activities. Another aspect of these protests is that they do not fail to garner good numbers of supporters and are able to attract mainstream media easily.

These protest marches to Luthuli House and rallies outside courts are also about internal organisational matters. In many instances these protests carry the baggage of factional inclinations. It takes a simple reading of a poster to know which faction is protesting. At these gatherings expletives of all sorts are blurted out in anger against some leaders. The most disheartening thing is when policy positions and resolutions of the ANC are distorted to push a particular narrative.

These protest marches to Luthuli House and rallies outside courts are also about internal organisational matters

Part of the narrative being advocated is that some leaders refuse to implement conference resolutions. These activities and gatherings have become platforms to expose the “bad guys” in our ranks and also applaud the “good” leaders. ANC leaders are being pitted against each other as if they do not form part of the same collective.

It is comical that some of the participants in these activities have no clue as to the purpose of these gatherings. The danger is that it is ANC members who are actively pushing a toxic narrative about their organisation. We imbibe and peddle conspiracies about leaders and each other. The media and opposition are feasting and having a field day on these activities. The tensions are deepened daily. Sanchuniathon’s extract in the introduction is 4,000 years old and its relevance is accentuated by these tendencies.

The protest marches bring to the fore pressing issues that need the attention of those in authority. They also cultivate civic and political consciousness required to enrich any democracy. However, if they are abused and misused for political expediency, the protests will degenerate into what Roberto Mangabeira Unger calls “routine without reason”.

The biggest weakness of these protests and rallies is that they are a sophisticated way of cutting off the movement from the plight of the masses. The optics of big numbers in attendance are hollow because these numbers are only harvested in the context of high levels of unemployment. Secondly, the events are not responsive to the very source of unemployment but are a power play that is inward looking.

The ANC should be intolerant of this unguided organisational drift whose preoccupation is ourselves — individuals and not the people. It is also my contention that the unity and renewal of the organisation cannot be reduced to a street fight. Unity and renewal are systemic at process and political levels. The political should enable the organisation to be at the service of the masses. This means to be responsive.

At process level, the organisation should enhance all democratic platforms for improved participation of members. All these should be anchored on tried and tested traditions, cultures and principles of the liberation movement. The organisational platforms should also attract many talented youth capable of shaping the modern outlook of the movement.

The ANC should resist any temptation to become the Armageddon of today, where forces of good and evil fight to the bitter end, leaving behind a “geography of death”. We should continue to insist that ANC members have entrusted all leaders in these positions through a democratic process. Therefore, there are no short cuts in managing the contradictions regardless of their pervasive nature. There are uninspiring aspects of our reality, but we should never engage in disparate activities.

There is no better way to assert that Oliver Tambo set very high standards with regard to the calibre of leadership the revolution requires. Thabo Mbeki accentuates this in stating: “… unless we produce other leaders and cadres in the calibre of Oliver Tambo, it is almost inevitable that the national democratic revolution will fail”. As part of the leadership generation of today we may be far from reaching this standard; however, the revolutionary act is to keep pursuing the dream.

Let’s unite to serve our people. Let us summon clarity of thought and action lest we become delusional about the trajectory of our revolution.

• Besani is a member of the national executive committee of the ANC and head of the ANC presidency