“ANC Must Confront The Use Of Money During Elective Conferences” Dlamini Zuma Breaks Silence

Former African Union Commission chairperson and former African National Congress (ANC) leader Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has called on the governing party to confront the growing influence of money in its elective conferences if it is serious about renewing itself.

Dlamini Zuma said the ANC’s efforts to rebuild and renew the organisation must go beyond changes in leadership and structures, arguing that the party must address practices that have increasingly shaped internal elections.

Her comments place the issue of money politics at the centre of the ANC’s long-running debate about organisational renewal and the restoration of its political credibility.

According to Dlamini Zuma, the use of money to influence delegates and secure support during elective conferences undermines the principles on which the ANC was founded. She suggested that meaningful renewal would remain difficult if candidates continued to rely on financial resources to gain an advantage over their opponents.

The former ANC stalwart’s remarks come against the backdrop of continued concerns within the party over factionalism, leadership contests and the conduct of internal elections. Over the years, allegations of vote-buying and the use of financial incentives during elective conferences have repeatedly surfaced, raising questions about whether political influence is being determined by ideas and organisational commitment or by access to resources.

Dlamini Zuma’s intervention therefore highlights one of the most sensitive issues facing the ANC as it seeks to rebuild itself following significant electoral setbacks.

The ANC has historically presented itself as a movement rooted in mass participation, democratic debate and a commitment to serving the interests of ordinary South Africans. However, internal divisions and fierce leadership contests have increasingly tested those principles.

For Dlamini Zuma, confronting the role of money in leadership contests should form part of a broader process of organisational renewal. Such a process, she indicated, should seek to strengthen the party’s internal democracy and ensure that members are able to make political choices without being influenced by financial inducements.

Her comments also point to the importance of accountability among party leaders and delegates. If elective conferences are to produce leaders based on their political vision, experience and ability to serve the organisation, she believes the process must be protected from practices that could distort the outcome.

The former AU Commission chairperson has remained a prominent figure in South African politics since leaving the ANC’s national executive leadership structures. She previously served as South Africa’s minister of health, minister of foreign affairs and minister in the presidency, before becoming the first woman to chair the African Union Commission.

Her political experience has given her a long view of the ANC’s organisational development and the challenges confronting the movement.

The question of renewal has become increasingly important for the ANC following its declining electoral support and the loss of its national majority in the 2024 general elections. The party has subsequently faced pressure to rebuild public confidence, strengthen its structures and demonstrate that it can respond effectively to South Africa’s economic and social challenges.

Dlamini Zuma’s comments suggest that such renewal must also begin within the ANC itself.

For the party, confronting money politics could prove particularly challenging because elective conferences are central to determining its leadership and political direction. Reforming the process would require strong political will from senior leaders, delegates and ordinary members alike.

Ultimately, Dlamini Zuma’s message is that organisational renewal cannot simply mean replacing one group of leaders with another. It must involve confronting practices that weaken internal democracy and ensuring that leadership positions are won through legitimate political support.

Her call puts the spotlight firmly on the need for the ANC to examine how its internal elections are conducted and whether financial influence is undermining the credibility of the movement’s renewal efforts.

Source; https://x.com/ZANewsFlash/status/2107083936371560601