ANC policies should not be government’s policies

Professor William Gumede has warned that South Africa’s governance is hampered when the African National Congress (ANC) treats its party policies as synonymous with national policies.

He argues that this approach undermines consensus in the Government of National Unity (GNU), stifles multi-party collaboration, and limits the country’s ability to respond to economic and social challenges.

Gumede is an associate professor at the Wits School of Governance, founder of the Democracy Works Foundation, and multiple-time best-selling author.

In the 2024 general elections, the ANC lost its three-decade-long majority, receiving 40% of the vote.

It formed a coalition, or ‘GNU’, with the Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Patriotic Alliance (PA), Vryheidsfront Plus (VF+), and five other smaller parties.

However, various parties within the GNU have complained about the ANC’s dismissive nature to the ideas, inputs and concerns of their coalition partners.

“Now, if the ANC continues to insist on the ANC’s party and ideological policies being the country’s policies, the journey will become unsustainable,” Gumede told Newsday. 

“This is supposed to be a whole new multi-party government with new policies. Meaning every ANC policy must be set aside for new policies, which are GNU policies.”

Gumede emphasised that a coalition can only function effectively if policies are multi-party and consensus-driven, rather than dictated by the majority party.

The ANC’s majority-based decision-making culture, Gumede said, has historically shaped government decisions to align with party ideology rather than the country’s best interests. 

“A governing party’s interest is not necessarily the best interest of a country,” he said.

This has had tangible consequences. Policies driven primarily by ANC ideology have often prioritised symbolic or transformative goals over pragmatic measures to boost growth and reduce unemployment.

Gumede specifically points to South Africa’s foreign policy, which he says has been party-focused and ideologically driven, rather than aimed at supporting economic growth or addressing unemployment and poverty.

 “Our foreign policy has not been focused on fostering economic growth or on dealing with unemployment or tackling poverty. It has been based on satisfying ideology, satisfying the past, and satisfying personal leadership interest,” he said.

The insistence on majority-driven ANC policies also affects domestic economic policy. 

Gumede noted instances where the ANC has sought to push through policies labelled as transformative or non-negotiable, sometimes bypassing coalition partners or seeking support from smaller parties outside the GNU. 

He warned that such actions undermine the GNU’s purpose and weaken multi-party collaboration:

“If the ANC gets that and genuinely accepts that, the GNU will be sustainable. If it continues to bypass GNU partners when it disagrees over policy, it will torpedo the GNU.”

VF+ leader Dr Corné Mulder echoed this, telling Newsday that the ANC’s exclusive control over international relations and economic policy is hurting the coalition.

He argued that these “failed policies” contribute to South Africa’s isolation and lack of economic growth, hindering the country’s progress. 

Use the resources of non-ANC parties

For Gumede, the solution is clear: South Africa requires multi-party, consensus-based policies that prioritise national interests over party ideology. 

He stressed that in a coalition or GNU, every ANC policy must be set aside to make way for policies that reflect the collaborative input of all parties. 

“To get out of economic emergency…one party or one leader will not have the capacity to take us as a country out of an economic emergency.”

“For the GNU to be this ideal vehicle… it must be able to use the capacity willingly, use the capacity of the non-ANC partners to sit with them and use their ideas, use their resources.”

Only through this approach can coalition governments function effectively, bring stability, and ensure that the country’s policies serve the people rather than a political party.

This approach, Gumede argues, has precedents in other countries that have achieved sustained economic growth. 

Post-Second World War Germany and Japan, as well as modern Brazil, leveraged consensus-based governance to rebuild economies and stabilise societies. 

Watch Professor William Gumede’s full interview with Newsday