Former South African president Thabo Mbeki has been approached by the African National Congress (ANC) to assist in their election campaign leading up to the upcoming elections.
The ANC, seeking to solidify support for the party, recognises the importance of leveraging Mbeki’s influence and experience. This move comes in the wake of another former president, Jacob Zuma, declaring his allegiance to the new MK party.
While Mbeki has not taken such a drastic step, he has been critical of the ANC in recent times.
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Last year, Mbeki hinted that he would not be willing to campaign for the party, citing concerns about the issues that were not being adequately addressed.
He stated, “There are many things that are going wrong which are not being attended to. I can’t go to the ordinary people of our country and say ‘vote for these people who are doing wrong things’. I can’t do that.”
Despite his reservations, ANC leaders remain optimistic that Mbeki will ultimately agree to campaign for the party.
The ANC’s confidence in Mbeki’s potential support stems from his previous criticism of Jacob Zuma for aligning himself with the new MK party.
While there is no formal agreement in place yet, a senior ANC NEC member expressed confidence that Mbeki would come on board, stating, “He hasn’t agreed yet…but we’re confident that he will agree to come on board.
“The idea is for us to have a plan for a post-manifesto launch because we want him to go out there campaigning with the manifesto in his hands.”
However, convincing Mbeki to actively campaign for the ANC may require significant effort. Over the past year, Mbeki has been vocal about the party’s shortcomings. He emphasized the need for the ANC to account for its failures since coming into power in 1994.
Mbeki highlighted the party’s failure to renew itself, despite resolutions made in 2017 and reiterated in 2022. He emphasised the importance of addressing pressing issues such as load shedding, unemployment, crime, and service delivery at the local level before focusing on winning elections.
During a dialogue at the University of South Africa in 2022, Mbeki expressed his belief that South Africa lacks the leadership necessary to tackle its problems effectively. His remarks underscored the need for the ANC to prioritise addressing these challenges rather than solely focusing on electoral victory.
In response to Mbeki’s previous criticisms, the ANC stated in December that it expects all its former leaders, including Mbeki, to campaign for the party out of loyalty. According to ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu, campaigning is seen as an obligation and responsibility for members and leaders of the party.
As the ANC prepares for the upcoming elections, the potential involvement of Thabo Mbeki in their campaign could have a significant impact. Mbeki’s influence and experience could help rally support for the party and address concerns raised by both supporters and critics. However, it remains to be seen whether Mbeki will ultimately agree to actively campaign for the ANC.
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