A View of the Week: ANC ‘on the Brink of Collapse’ But Don’t Be Distracted

The only time South Africa moves quickly is on the dancefloor in December. When it comes to political accountability, the rhythm is painfully slow.

It’s been 47 days since KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi dropped his bombshell allegations of political interference, corruption and collusion inside the police service. Forty days since President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a judicial inquiry. Twenty-two days since a new police minister took office. Twelve days since Parliament promised to finalise its framework for investigations.

And yet, little has changed. Life trudges on as before with only a new minister and a new commission to give the illusion of action.

Costly Theatre

Commissions and “dialogues” come with a hefty price tag. The much-publicised National Dialogue has already swallowed hundreds of millions, and the latest police probe will cost millions more in salaries, fees and administration.

Even worse, some MPs and parliamentary legal advisors resisted including unions and frontline voices in the process. In other words: the people closest to the problem are once again excluded from the solution.

Skeletons in the Shadows

The ANC has long preferred to keep its skeletons buried deep. That instinct to operate in the dark has blinded the party to both internal criticism and public disillusionment.

This week, former ministers Malusi Gigaba and Senzo Mchunu broke ranks, declaring the ANC “on the brink of collapse.” But don’t mistake their comments for genuine introspection.

Gigaba, once a poster child of state capture, now plays the role of deflector-in-chief. Mchunu, meanwhile, faces his own cloud of allegations from his tenure as police minister. Their sudden honesty feels more like a survival tactic than a confession.

Shifting Blame, Dodging Accountability

Defence Minister Angie Motshekga has become another lightning rod. From skipping key meetings to unnecessary trips into war zones, her oversight of the SANDF has been riddled with blunders. Yet, in Parliament’s defence committee, she remains untouchable.

A diplomatic storm is also brewing. SANDF Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya’s public support for Iran has sparked outrage and fresh calls for both him and Motshekga to resign. In the chaos, Gigaba seems willing to throw anyone even his own party under the bus if it deflects pressure away from him.

Collapse or Controlled Chaos?

Talk of the ANC “collapsing” makes headlines, but the reality is more subtle and more dangerous. What looks like decay is also a carefully staged distraction. Endless commissions, selective outrage, and finger-pointing keep South Africans watching the circus while the deeper rot of governance, corruption and political paralysis goes unaddressed.

The ANC may indeed be on the brink, but collapse is not the story. The story is how much longer South Africa can afford this performance of accountability, while real accountability remains out of reach.

Source: TheCitizen}

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