Corruption, sluggish growth widen crack in South Africa’s ANC edifice

The ANC which has been ruling south Africa since the end of the Apartheid regime is in tatters. Ahead of general elections in May, senior leaders are jumping from the sinking ANC ship.

One of the party leaders and former senior government minister in South Africa Nathi Nhleko said, before resigning, it was “painful” to see the ANC turn into a party he no longer recognized.

Earlier this year, the ANC suspended former president Jacob Zuma for backing rival party the new uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) in December.

After decades under ANC, South Africa lost its status as the continent’s largest economy and is posting sluggish growth verging on recession. In the fourth quarter last, year the economy grew by only 0.1% amid rampant unemployment at 41% coupled with public services failure such as endemic electricity cuts.

Africa’s most industrialized nation had only 35 days in 2023 where the state-run power utility Eskom didn’t have to cut power to some part of the country.

Meanwhile, five South African cities were ranked among the top 5 most dangerous cities in the continent due to rampant criminality and violence.

Analysts say that further failure to address these issues may lead to social unrest. In 2021, more than 300 people died in violent riots, a worrying outburst of public disorder in one of Africa’s leading lights.

It is expected that the ANC, who has ruled South Africa since the 1994 elections, will have a hard time holding its outright majority this year in what would signal a momentous shift.

Early polls give the ANC around 42-45%. This is lower than the party has ever received in any post-apartheid election but still a bigger share than any other party.