Editorial: ANC’s capacity to deliver falls short

WHEN President Jacob Zuma announced in Port Elizabeth on Saturday that municipal councillors would in future be made to sign performance and accountability agreements, his supporters applauded while critics giggled in mockery. Addressing thousands of ANC supporters at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Zuma detailed the ANC’s election manifesto – a list of promises placed on the table by the party to entice the electorate ahead of the August 3 poll. It is common cause that regardless of the outcome, this election will be a historic moment in this city. Never has the ANC’s power been so threatened. While much ado has been made about the lower-than-expected turnout at the stadium for the manifesto launch, we believe it is perhaps misguided to exclusively use that as a concrete sign of the potential fall of the ANC in the metro. Firstly, because regardless of the questions around it, the ANC’s claim that many of its supporters from Port Elizabeth and surrounding areas could not attend because of a series of bungles with transport arrangements, has not been disproved. Secondly, the ANC has consistently been voted into power by supporters more so than members.

Therefore, rally turnouts which are mostly attended by members – whether good or bad – are hardly an indicator of voter support at the polls. What should worry the ANC, however, is the dwindling public confidence which was expressed, for example, through the mockery of Zuma’s promise to keep councillors accountable. Those who applauded the announcement did so appreciating the long-standing calls by communities to ensure councillors are held to account. Those who scorned it, however, did so because of the difficulty to believe such a statement when coming from a leader whose sense of accountability has repeatedly been found wanting. Herein lies the ANC’s election threat. While much of its manifesto may look good on paper, its capacity to deliver falls short. More importantly, the political quagmire that often hamstrings the party, makes a mockery of the many good intentions it puts forward.