Tensions remain high in the lead-up to the ANC’s elective conference, set to take place in December.
Recent polls show that confidence in the ANC has decreased dramatically in the wake of the ongoing energy crisis, economic pressures and social challenges.
However, trust levels can be restored if members of the party’s future collective leadership remain unimpeachable and inspire newfound confidence in their abilities, according to Kgalema Motlanthe, former president of South Africa and political thought leader and analyst.
Speaking during a session of PSG’s Think Big webinar series, Motlanthe said the writing is on the wall for the ANC.
He said that the upcoming elective conference will serve as a crucible for the ruling party as the nation’s eyes remain fixed on the political constituent in whose hands the country’s socioeconomic prospects rest.
For Motlanthe, the formation and long-term stability of a capable state rely heavily on the ability of the government to escape the trap of ‘short-termism’.
“In the past, the efficacy of institutional memory has not been leveraged to affect the kind of changes that can be developed and improved in the long term for the benefit of the country. Instability arises when parochial and partisan agendas take preference over the bigger picture,” he said.
The inefficiencies that exist within local economies under the governance of local government systems remain a serious concern, he said.
“Our current reality is one in which many municipalities across the country are struggling to meet basic service delivery requirements and demands for better infrastructure. If we can focus on fixing the dysfunction that exists and strive to apply the collaborative and cooperative principles of coalition politics in our local structures, then ordinary citizens will see real change, and we will create the space we need to consider whether the coalition can be used to strengthen our democracy,” he said.
Motlanthe also expressed his views on what is arguably the country’s most talked-about issue: the energy crisis.
Providing his stance on a possible solution, he pointed to the natural gas that is particularly abundant in parts of Mpumalanga and the Free State. In his view, these natural reserves are the key to solving the energy crisis and unburdening the national grid from rising pressure.
“Our natural gas resources that exist inland can help us in addressing the balance of our electricity needs. And with strategic regulation, we can use this opportunity to create jobs en masse and possibly, build the beginnings of an entirely new manufacturing sector based on gas,” he said.
He also indicated that he believed the country’s energy sector to be an industry to watch in the near future.
“Perhaps instead of focusing on the continuance of the basic income grant, we should redirect our focus on micro-lending opportunities and microfinancing businesses that can serve entrepreneurs within under-resourced communities and enable young people with the seed capital they need to stake their own claim within the emerging community-driven energy space,” Motlanthe said.
Read: South Africa finance minister says budget cuts result in service delivery challenges
