“That leader may or may not be a member of the current NEC, but they will emerge at the right time to rescue the party,” Phosa said.
A new, good leader of the ANC will emerge in future, but for the party to be redeemed, it needs to start afresh and rebuild branches that are free of factionalism, corruption and influence from the top, ANC stalwart, lawyer and businessman Mathews Phosa said.
In an interview with The Citizen, Phosa said the ANC will elect a great leader after President Cyril Ramaphosa and even beyond.
Right leader will come at the right time
“There are always questions about the contestants (for the ANC presidency), but it’s premature to think that such a leader would emerge sooner. I am confident when that time comes, the right leader of the ANC will emerge,” Phosa said.
“That leader may or may not be a member of the current NEC, but they will emerge at the right time to rescue the party from its current leadership crisis, corruption and factionalism.
“When that time comes, the leader of the ANC, a leader that we deserve, will emerge, I am convinced. They always emerge; it’s better that they keep their heads low now and focus on service for the people,” Phosa said.
“It could be someone within or outside of the NEC but a great leader will come one day.
“There is no need to talk about the leadership election now because the national conference is still too far away. Instead, there is the national general council coming up in December. Leaders must focus on serving the people, not party political positions.”
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Factionalism crippling the party
He acknowledged that factionalism was the straw that broke the camel’s back in the party.
Factionalism and power-mongering are exacerbated by widespread corruption in the state machinery.
“Factions originated at the top echelon of the party and spread down to the branch level, rendering the party dysfunctional,” Phosa said.
Asked whether the ANC could be redeemed to its former glory as it was under Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Albert Luthuli and other pioneer leaders of the movement, Phosa said the party could be restored.
“In theory, the ANC is redeemable, but in practice, it is not. I say this because you cannot correct the ANC with the same branches that exist today. They are full of worms and rot.
“I am sorry, they must reject me if they want, but the truth is that they cannot revive themselves,” Phosa said.
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Back to basics for revival
In 1990, Walter Sisulu, soon after his release from jail in October 1989, along with a few others, was tasked with setting up new ANC branches from scratch without any funding, but with only an ideal, he said.
However, he succeeded in establishing those ANC branches nationwide that elected new leadership in Durban in July 1991.
“The first national conference of the ANC inside the country was driven by the branches with no money, but it was the most successful. To revive the ANC, you must go back to the basics and establish new branches.
“I am saying that the ANC can only be revived and redeemed with new branches, with new people who should not come with factions or the worms of infighting and factional influence from the top.
“You cannot make an omelette with rotten eggs. We need fresh branches; it’s a torturous route to redeemability of the ANC,” Phosa said.
Asked if he would contest as president in the next ANC elective conference in 2027, Phosa declined to comment.
He contested for the ANC deputy president in 2012, but was defeated by Ramaphosa, who became deputy to Jacob Zuma. In 2017, he ran for party president, but withdrew later in Ramaphosa’s favour.