For decades the ideology and politics of the ANC have had no resemblance to the organisation called the South African Native National Congress founded 111 years ago.
The founders of the SANNC were politically moderate and embraced middle-class values. Their aim was to provide a voice for the voiceless indigenous who were excluded politically in the newly formed Union of South Africa. In that quest, they did not embrace socialism and their ranks included clergymen, teachers and other professionals.
Unfortunately, in the wake of the seizure of power by communists in Russia, the SANNC became a target of communism’s quest for world revolution. In 1928, having abbreviated its name, the ANC began a permanent alliance with the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA).
By 1947 the ANC had become a captive front of the CPSA. Seven of the ANC’s executive members were communists, including Joe Slovo and Bram Fischer. The prevalence of communist ideology is clearly apparent in the Freedom Charter, the authors of which were communists – Ben Turok, Joe Slovo, Ruth First and others.
Thus, for more than 75 years, the ANC has been divorced and detached from the political moorings of the SANNC. As such, given the dystopian results of communism in Eastern Europe, Cuba, and Venezuela and the failure of its policies to produce a better life for all in South Africa, the ANC actually has nothing to celebrate. Indeed, as Oxford historian RW Johnson stated in 2019, the ANC is the most destructive force ever to have afflicted South Africa.
Therefore, at this time, it would be appropriate for the ANC to consider the deterioration and dysfunctionalism it has inflicted on South Africa. But then, such introspection is not part of the narrative of a criminal syndicate obsessed with self-enrichment.
Whereas the SANNC attempted to be a voice of the voiceless masses, the ANC is deaf to the plight of the masses to whom it promised alleviation from poverty and oppression.
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