1. Your main assertion is that voter support for the ANC has been
in decline, and what you describe as the national opposition complex is at the
forefront of the challenge of removing the ANC from its position as a trusted
servant with a mandate to serve, lead and govern at the national sphere of
government.

 

2.
You also state your conviction that issue-based civil society movements and
many new political parties believe that they will together form a  new
coalition against the ANC using the standard message that together they will
restore South Africa’s service delivery capability.

 

3.
We must be careful not to fall into the trap of dominant opinion makers whose
analysis is sometimes flawed. We must not embrace studies that are incorrect
but are used to misinform and demoralise ordinary members and supporters of the
ANC

 

4.
You are right to emphasise that ANC members, its supporters and the ANC itself
must understand the true nature of the national discontent and appreciate that
this is very important as it works hard to earn a further mandate to serve,
lead and govern. It is also important for ANC members to know the ANC and
understand its adversaries.

 

5.
It is reasonable for anyone to appreciate the statement in the Daily Maverick
of 6 January 2023, which states that “… the ANC’s downward spiral is expected
to be reflected in the outcome of the general elections in 2024”; and that
might turn out to be true if the ANC-led government does not increase its pace
and effectiveness of delivery to change for the better the quality of lives of
the majority of citizens, Black and White.

 

6.
We must eradicate the myths about the ANC being poised to lose national
elections by getting less than 50%, based on the 2021 local government elections results. Predictions of performance in the coming 2024 national
elections must be based on an objective analysis of past performances in
national and not local government elections. Mixing the two introduces fatal
errors in the analysis and predictions.

 

7.  The
ANC performed well in national elections from 1994 to 2019: 1994, 62.65%; 1999,
66.35%; 2004, 69.69%; 2009, 65.90%; 2014, 62.15%; and 2019, 57.50%. Although
there were declines, the ANC always obtained overwhelming majority
support. 

 

8.
The 2019 4.65% decline, if applied to predictions of the possible performance
of the ANC in the 2024 national elections, would result in 52.50% voter support
if all conditions remained the same. This is contrary to what most political
pundits and opinion makers are propagating.

 

9.
The ANC must not be complacent. Leadership and mandates are earned. They are
not owned or bestowed.

 

10.
I agree with you that it is very important to get all progressive forces,
organs of community mobilisation and the Congress Alliance behind the ANC to
contribute to the strength of the ANC as the best servant of the people.

 

11.
However, effective delivery of services and urgent implementation of government
plans and programmes today and every day by the ANC-led government assisted by
ANC activism and Active Citizenry are core. The acts that improve people’s
quality of lives determine how they cast their votes.

 

12.
Please note that anyone who believes in freedom must advocate adherence by all
to the basics of democracy. 

 

13.
In most democracies, unlike ours, which liberals have hijacked under the guise
of constitutional democracy, a party with a simple majority, for example, 35%
or 40% in Germany, has the right to form a government unlike our generally accepted
gross violation of democratic practice has given us the worst example of how a
person whose political party has been rejected by voters can turn out as the
first citizen of a metropole, the Mayor of Johannesburg.

 

14.
So, let us agree. The ANC is not on the verge of losing the mandate to serve,
leave and govern, but all of us must be hands on deck to support all political
deployees and employees in government to serve well; and to drive them, plus
hold them accountable through monthly organised and systematic monitoring and
evaluation of their performance at the ward, district, provincial and national
level to deliver with speed, effectively and to the best of their abilities.
This ANC activism and Active Citizenry led by progressive forces must become
the norm for the sake of our country and our future without the neo-apartheid
of the liberals and anarchists.