The state of the National Democratic Revolution: Dave Steward

Key topics:ANC NDR document drives policy via race-based Radical Economic TransformationState-led, anti-market economics clash with GNU growth goalsGNU seen as tactical tool to restore ANC majority, not a true coalition.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..By Dave Steward.It is not possible to understand South African politics without reading – and inwardly digesting - the ANC’s “The State of the National Democratic Revolution” document which served as the “strategic framework discussion document” for the recent 5th National General Council meeting. It is a laborious task. It requires readers to wade through 25 127 words of ideological gobbledygook, arcane revolutionary theory and Orwellian double-think.The National General Council is the ANC’s second most important forum and is tasked with considering progress with the implementation of its core programme, the National Democratic Revolution (NDR), between its five-yearly National Elective Conferences. The NDR’s main objective is “the attainment of political and economic freedom for the oppressed – Africans in particular and blacks in general...” The NDR also seeks “to end Colonialism of a Special Type (CST) which is underpinned by three interrelated, antagonistic contradictions that cannot be resolved through mere reforms: race, class and gender.”.Read more:.(Part 1) The 2024 South African election outcome and the betrayal of the NDR – Isaac Mogotsi.In terms of the CST, white wealth and economic power arose from the repression of black South Africans under colonialism and apartheid and are accordingly undeserved. The NDR’s core goal is to redress this grievance by means of Radical Economic Transformation. RET is defined as a “fundamental change in the structure, systems, institutions and patterns of ownership, management and control of the economy in favour of all South Africans, especially the poor, the majority of whom are African and female ...”Even though non-racialism is one of the founding principles in the GNU’s Statement of Intent, racial discrimination will, according to the ANC, be necessary until “all centres of power and influence become broadly representative of the country’s demographics.” (i.e. forever.)This is why President Ramaphosa is so determined to press ahead with race-based transformation policies including BBBEE, Expropriation Without Compensation and stringent racial quotas under the Employment Equity Act. Despite this – and in a classic example of Orwellian double–think - the NGC document repeatedly insists that the ANC’s goal is non-racialism and that “building a truly non-racial, non-sexist nation that is united in its diversity has been one of the central objectives of the NDR.”Although the GNU’s Statement of Intent’s first goal is “rapid, inclusive and sustainable economic growth”, the ANC differs fundamentally from the DA and other GNU parties on how this should be achieved. The NGC document rejects "neoliberal" policies and advocates an “ideologically grounded perspective” that moves beyond “the market-driven approaches of the past” and develops instead an economic program that “strengthens state-led development, prioritizes the needs of the poor and working class, and breaks with policies that have entrenched inequality and exclusion.”This would include- a recalibration of industrial and macroeconomic policy (i.e. more intervention by an incompetent state?);- rebuilding SOEs as drivers of productive investment (i.e. investment attracted by such star performers as Eskom, Transnet and Denel?);- reforming the financial sector to align credit and investment with national development goals (i.e. raiding pension funds?);- reviewing regulated prices and addressing structural inflation to lower the cost of living and doing business (i.e. price controls?); and- accelerating land reform, SMME development, and broad-based ownership to break racial, spatial and class concentration ( i.e. entrenching the main obstacles to investment and economic growth?).The NGC document fully acknowledges the crisis confronting the ANC caused by rampant corruption, state capture, collapsing municipalities, and defective service delivery. However, it fails to mention that these problems were created - or condoned - by President Ramaphosa and many of the ANC leaders gathered at the NGC. It does note that “the economy grew (with per capita GDP rising) and employment expanded in the first 15 years of democracy” - but it does not ascribe the ANC’s dismal performance since then to the victory of the SACP/COSATU/Zuma “coalition of the wounded” at the disastrous Polokwane Conference in 2007. Instead, it darkly charges that its problems are partly due (believe it or not) to a “counter-revolutionary onslaught against the NDR” involving “apartheid-era infiltrators and rogue intelligence elements, allied with forces of monopoly capital and global right-wing interests.”The ANC regards the establishment of the GNU as a tactical move - and not as a strategic alliance. Some members of the GNU “like the DA, remain committed to a neo-liberal, anti-transformation agenda. Their discomfort with principles such as non-racialism, affirmative action, inclusive immigration, and social solidarity is well-documented.” However, “despite the noisy contradictions among the GNU parties, the ANC has used this platform to ensure South Africa’s domestic policy agenda and international relations perspective reaffirm the progressive thinking of the National Democratic Revolution.... It has temporarily neutralised the threat of right-wing populism (i.e.MK?) and provided breathing space for the ANC to regroup.” “The goal remains to restore the ANC to majority status.” And finally, "The ANC must never lose sight of the fact that its historical mission is not simply to govern, but to transform society - our presence in any government should always be assessed against this strategic objective.”.Read more:.ANC brains trust rejects reforms, says GNU temporary pitstop to make breathing space.All concerned South Africans should take careful note of the NGC document: There can no longer be any doubt about the central role that the NDR continues to play in the formulation of ANC policy. There should be no illusions regarding the ANC’s involvement in the GNU and the degree to which it has deviated from any objective understanding of the Statement of Intent.The ANC has stated clearly that it will continue to use the GNU as a platform for further implementation of the NDR.There can be no hope for economic growth while the ANC clings to its discredited Marxist-Leninist NDR and CST ideologies.There can be no pretence of non-racialism - or any possibility of national unity - while the ANC’s core programme continues to target the legitimate economic interests of South African citizens on the basis of their race.

The state of the National Democratic Revolution: Dave Steward

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