THE African National Congress (ANC), which lost its three-decade political dominance in South Africa during the last elections, has pledged to regain the trust of voters and rebuild its support base ahead of the next national polls.
Speaking to a crowd of about 16 000 supporters at Mandela Park Stadium in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, President Cyril Ramaphosa reaffirmed the party’s determination to return as a majority party in future elections.
The rally, held on Saturday to mark the ANC’s 113th anniversary, also served as a platform to outline the party’s policy priorities for the year.
“The outcome of the May elections was a sad moment for the ANC,” Ramaphosa told supporters, referencing the party’s dip below the 50 percent majority mark for the first time in democratic South Africa.
“We are determined to regain public confidence and return as a majority party in the next election.”
For the first time in its history, the ANC is commemorating its founding anniversary under a power-sharing arrangement with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and other parties in a government of national unity (GNU).
Despite this reality, Ramaphosa assured supporters that the ANC’s hold on state power remains firm.
“State power will always be in the hands of the ANC,” he declared, taking a swipe at the breakaway parties and opposition groups.
“They will never weaken the ANC. Some of these parties masquerade as more radical than the ANC, but their revolutionary-sounding rhetoric cannot hide the reality that they have a common cause with the forces opposing transformation.”
He dismissed the notion that splinter parties could dislodge the ANC from power, describing them as “dreaming” if they believed they could weaken the ruling party.
“Whether they like it or not, the ANC will continue to lead,” Ramaphosa said with confidence.
“The president of the country is ANC, the majority of government ministers are from the ANC. This means that we are still leading regardless of the electoral results.”
Despite the electoral setback, Ramaphosa said the ANC is still “moving forward” and has the drive to govern.
He emphasised that the party’s renewal process remains central to its mission to regain public trust.
The ANC leader outlined three key areas of focus to achieve this: economic growth and job creation; quality of services and governance; and ANC renewal and ethical leadership.
Ramaphosa concluded his address by expressing confidence that the ANC would return to power without the need for coalitions in the future.
“We will come back stronger and alone in the elections,” he declared, promising that the party’s renewal efforts would yield results.
The rally marked the start of a crucial year for the ANC, as it works to rebuild its support and reassert its leadership in South African politics amid growing competition from opposition parties and internal dissent. – Staff Reporter