#NoConfidenceVote #SecretBallot

The ANC may have won the vote of confidence against Zuma, but there is no reason to celebrate. One may argue that results of the secret ballot in Parliament are an indication of deep seated cracks within the party.

Last year, the ANC suffered major losses in the LG2016 election when it lost the 3 big metros City of Tshwane, city of Johannesburg and the Nelson Mandela bay. Seems that these losses and divisions still haunt the ruling party and if these are not addressed before their National elective conference in December, they are bound to leave the party bleeding profusely come 2019 National and Provincial Elections.

History has shown that Liberation Movements in Africa often collapse after a number of years in leadership because of leadership inadequacies. Whether it is lack of information, or lack of understanding of their new roles as governments, one thing is certain, liberation movements do not seem to have the techniques of moving their people forward after the attainment of freedom. There is often no significant economic improvement for the majority of the people and as such, the electorate ends up frustrated and takes back to the streets in protest against the ruling government, in the same fashion as during the time of oppression. 

With that said, perhaps it is time that the ANC stops focusing on the historical accomplishments during their fight against the apartheid regime. The people of South Africa no longer want to be told about successes of Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo. They want a leader that will champion a new discourse, a new struggle for the economic emancipation of all its citizens. It is up to the ANC as a ruling party, to determine whether this symbol of hope will emerge from them, or from the opposition.

The response to that dialogue seems to have unwittingly started last night.