Why ANC, a liberation movement, twenty years on, is still popular?

The just ended South Africa general elections encompasses interesting lessons for the future governments. There are a couple of analysis which can be established, to come up with the enabling factors, to the ANC popularity among the majority, twenty years on as a government, in relation to the African context.

Traditionally, most African liberation movements supports within the ordinary people, would dwindle significantly within the second decade of their rule. Dwindle to an extent that it compelled most of them to transform towards dictatorship in order to retain power.

Notable ones are; Malawi Congress Party of the late dictator Hastings Banda, Zambia UNIP( United National Independence Party) of Kenneth Kaunda. President Dos Santos of Angola Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), Uganda Yoweri Museveni's party National Resistance Movement(NRM). Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF), to mention just a few.

In contrast ANC is still holding strongly due to a number of factors:

*1* Good Governance

Though, from 1994, ANC government had some notable shortcomings, overall, it has been exemplary in good governance. This could have been necessitated by South Africa's well crafted constitution. The SA constitution led to the establishment of very effective watchdog institutions, prominently known in SA as chapter 9 institutions. Institutions created to support constitutional democracy. For example, Public protector led by the well celebrated Thuli Madonsela, the Auditors General , Human rights Commission.

Since 1994 the ANC government have significantly improved the living standards of their people. It is only in South Africa were a liberation movement had built more than 3.3 million free houses which has benefited more than 16 million of its people. Imagine 16 million people benefiting for absolutely free houses allocated to them by their own government, the impact will live for decades. Its only in South Africa whereby millions have access to free and clean water. For the past 20 years the ANC government had been providing free and quality health care to the majority of its people. Where in Africa have we seen over seven million school learners attending school for free?? Its only in South Africa of the ANC.

Most importantly, ANC have been a listening government, unlike other arrogant governments led by liberation movements. We have seen government Ministers being fired for misconducts, corruption and malpractices. We have seen Police Generals being fired for maladministrations. Public Prosecutors being fired for having questionable standings.

*2* Democracy within the ANC

ANC, unlike its fellow African liberation parties has managed to keep its internal democracy alive. The leadership positions within the party is widely open to every member. Contestations for leadership positions, unlike the case in other liberation movements, is not viewed as alien within the ANC. The party holds strongly contested elective Congresses after every five years, from the presidency downwards. Notable ones, the 2007 Mbeki-Zuma contest and the recent past one, the Zuma-Motlanthe contest.

Democracy in ANC helped it to retain its domination. There are wide range of constituencies which are not happy with Zuma's presidency, but went on to vote for ANC. This was necessitated by the case that in SA they don't vote for a president, but for a party. Some voted for ANC so as to keep it in power, knowing very well that this will be Zuma's last term, and if he opts to contest for ANC presidency the probability of him winning is next to zero. Even if he wins, the country's constitution will not permit him to go for another term. To some Zuma is going and there was no need to punish ANC as a party.

*3* The absence of opposition not absent

Though there are plethora of opposition parties in South Africa,they however, lack the physical stamina to effect a comprehensive challenge to ANC domination. The 2014 elections results below speaks volumes to that effect;

    votes %. Seats
    ANC 11,436,921. 62.15%. 249

    DA 4,091,584. 22.23%. 89

    EFF 1,169,259. 6.35%. 25

    IFP 441,854. 2.40%. 10

    NFP 288,742. 1.57%. 6


DA is a party that is suppose to position itself as a great threat to the ANC, albeit, it is largely viewed as a white party representing the interest of the minority white constituency. The apartheid tag is still denting its growth among black voters, who constitute the majority. Hence its poor showing at a distance 2nd position with 22.23%

At a distant 3rd is Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters party(EFF) with 6.35% of votes. The party is regarded by many as a "Joke". EFF is mainly followed by those who hope to grab a farm for free, those who hope to grab a company for free while seated at home. Though EFF promised to reduce youth unemployment through their populist policies, they just didn't have takers among the electorate. EFF is like a Zanu pf subsidiary, its policies resonate very well with those ones used by Zanu pf over the years. South African voters couldn't afford to import Zimbabwe into their door step.

Until such a time when a serious opposition emerges, ANC strong showing at elections will always be guaranteed.

*4* The Mandela factor

The late former South African President, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was and still loved across the devide. Many people feel indebted to the late Mandela as a result of his contribution to the end of the brutal apartheid regime, culminating to the present democracy in South Africa. They find it difficulty to separate ANC from Mandela. There is a belief among some, that voting against ANC will be a betrayal to the Mandela legacy. A vote for ANC is a vote for Mandela, as is believed by some.

*5* The economic power

The ANC government had, over the years managed to retain the tag, Africa's biggest economy. Over the years, till recently when Nigeria took over, South Africa had been Africa's biggest economy. ANC managed to keep the SA economy very competitive through their market oriented policies. They actually avoided populist and destructive policies like Nationalization, which have failed in most African countries. SA's economic strength resulted into improved standards of living of its people.

*6* ANC was the last liberation movement to gain power in Africa

South Africa was the last country in Africa to obtain majority rule. Over the years, ANC have experienced the rise and the sad fall of liberation movements in Africa. They have been learning and correcting the mistakes of their fellow liberation comrades. A situation that has also facilitated their strong showing in the last elections, as they avoided all things negative.

The country is regarded as the best democracy in Africa,and its elections as one of the best in Africa. Though there were some objections of irregularities in some areas, the objections couldn't affect the overall credibility of the elections as free and fair. As things stand the party will still win credible elections for twenty more years.

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Lft Gen Simbarashe Mujeye
MDC T Johannesburg
Alexander Branch Chairman and
General in the Poor Peoples Army.