The ANC is the most destructive force South Africa has ever seen

Renowned economist Dawie Roodt said that the ANC has proved itself incompetent and the most destructive force South Africa has ever seen.

He shared his views on the African National Conference (ANC) during a discussion at the 2026 Biznews Conference at the Champagne Sports Resort in the Drakensberg.

Roodt said that the ANC’s ideological roots in socialism and communism are out of sync with the modern world.

The party’s ideological foundation is the primary reason for South Africa’s economic decline and other financial problems.

“Something is wrong, and it is called the ANC. It is wrong because the ideological base has its roots in socialism or communism,” he said.

South Africa is poorer today on a per capita basis than it was 15 years ago. “The economy’s performance under the ANC is absolutely horrible,” he said.

“During the ANC’s tenure, state expenditure has reached a record high of 35% of GDP, while state debt has ballooned to 80% of GDP.”

“The state is the biggest destroyer of capital. It wastes R100 billion to R200 billion annually by borrowing long-term money to fund short-term current expenditures.”

He also attributed the collapse of local authorities and state-owned enterprises to ANC policies, incompetence, cadre deployment, and corruption.

He argued that it was possible to grow the South African economy by between 4% and 6% by implementing the right policies.

“However, those policies will be put in place only by another political party or another political grouping,” he said.

“This is because the ANC has proved itself to be incompetent and the most destructive force that South Africa has ever seen.”