13 Jan

Jan Gerber | ANC's Conference Interruptus did little to save it from electoral doom come 2024

Jan Gerber

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The newly elected ANC top 7: Maropene Ramokgopa, Nomvula Mokonyane, Fikile Mbalula, Gwede Mantashe, Cyril Ramaphosa, Paul Mashatile and Gwen Ramokgopa.

Alfonso Nqunjana, News24

Can the ANC fix itself ahead of the 2024 elections? The answer is definitely maybe. But does it want to? Having been at a conference that the ANC couldn't even conclude on time, News24 parliamentary reporter Jan Gerber reckons the ANC would rather fight about who gets to captain the ship, than do the hard work of steadying it.

It is Tuesday, 20 December 2022, around mid-morning. The final day of the ANC's conference at Nasrec, Johannesburg. Over the conference centre's public announcement system booms a voice: "Comrade delegates, I'm comrade Fikile Mbalula, secretary-general (SG) of the ANC."

The newly elected SG's voice would continue to bellow across the precinct throughout the morning, each time informing everyone within earshot that it is he, comrade Fikile Mbalula, secretary-general of the ANC, who is addressing his comrades.

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